Battle City Quests
by MillenniumPrincess
Summary: Kaiba learns of the existence of the three Egyptian God cards and throws a new tournament to obtain the cards. Yugi and his friends join the tournament to fulfill their destinies and uncover the mysteries of their links to the ancient past. The Egyptian princess awakens and comes to understand her power and Millennia's chosen warriors also awaken. Retelling of the second season.
1. Prologue

Prologue

A year has passed since Duelist Kingdom came to an end. Yugi thought that his adventures were over after defeating Pegasus and rescuing his grandfather, but Yami, the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, felt differently. There were still many mysteries in his mind as to why his spirit was sealed within the Puzzle and if he had some sort of purpose for being here in this place. Yugi sensed his friend's concern and his reflections on his adventure came into mind. He still wanted to learn more about this Great Goddess Millennia and all of her powers. He also wanted to know what this Millennium Star was and who this Egyptian princess was as well. If this Star was powerful than the Millennium Items and if people were after it, then Yugi knew that he wasn't the only one in danger. He and Yami both shared the feeling that they had to find this princess and help her unlock her powers before someone else would.


	2. The Start of a new Adventure

The Start of a new Adventure

In the morning, Solomon Muto swept the doorstep on his game shop. His next door neighbor, Emily Briar, and her best friend, Tea Gardener, came by and greeted him. "Good morning, Mr. Muto," the girls greeted in unison.

"Ah, Tea, Emily, good morning," he returned. "Yugi's upstairs getting ready. I'll call him for you. Would you girls like something to drink?"

The girls kindly refused. "Oh, no, thank you. We're already late."

"Yugi, Tea and Emily are here," Solomon called to his grandson.

"I'll be right there, Grandpa," Yugi replied as he was getting ready to go. _This new chain ought to keep my Millennium Puzzle safe,_ he thought, securing it around his neck. _Seems like everyone wants their hands on it lately._

"And we're going to need it now more than ever," said the spirit of the Puzzle.

"We are?" Yugi asked. "Wh-what do you mean by that?"

"The Millennium Puzzle connects us, Yugi, and I sense fate has more in store for us."

"Well, we're in this together no matter what," Yugi promised, picking up his backpack and exiting his room.

"Good," Yami sighed. "I wish I knew more, but our destiny is still unclear to me."

Yugi stopped for a moment at that last statement, then went back on his way to join the girls. "Well, I'll help you figure it out."

"About time, Yugi," Tea said as she saw him come outside.

"We're going to be late for the big game," Emily told him. "What took you so long?"

Yugi felt like the girls had a right to know, so he told them, "I was talking to the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. He seems kind of… worried."

"About what?" the girls asked.

"About the future, I think," he answered. "He said something about our destiny being unclear. Ever since we defeated Pegasus together, the spirit's been talking about fate like there's something more he has to do." The girls looked at each other in concern. Yugi paused for a minute and told them, "When you think about it, he doesn't really know all that much about himself like where he came from and why he's here. But I'm babbling and we're late. We should get going."

"Oh, right, the soccer game," said Tea. "We definitely don't want to miss it." So the three friends bid Yugi's grandfather goodbye and went on their way to school.

As they passed through the streets, Emily decided to break the silence and ask for Yugi's opinion about the big game. "So who do you think's going to win?"

"Win?" Yugi echoed. "Win what?" Clearly his mind was somewhere else.

"Earth to Yugi," Tea was saying. "The soccer game at school."

"Oh, um, well, I don't know," he finally replied, obviously still not paying attention.

"You don't really care much about sports, do you," Tea asked.

Then a voice spoke up. "Futures told, fates unfold. Step up, boy, and I'll reveal the secrets of your future."

Yugi turned and saw a man wearing a black hooded cloak and sitting at a table with a crystal ball. Taken in by his words, he wonders, "Can you really see into the future?" Tea and Emily turned around and asked Yugi what he was doing. "Girls, maybe this fortune teller can figure out the spirit's future."

Tea and Emily knew they didn't have much time for this, but if it meant helping the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, then they would agree to it.

The man put his eyes on the Millennium Puzzle. "Boy, in order to tell you your future, I must hold a personal item. Your necklace will do nicely."

"My what?" asked Yugi. "No, I'm sorry. I can't."

"Then I can't tell your fortune," warned the mysterious fortune teller. "I need it in order to properly read your aura and see what fate has in store for you." Yugi remembered his promise and finally submitted into giving the man his Puzzle. The girls suddenly got a bad feeling about this. He takes the Puzzle and says, "Yes, something is coming to me. I see that this Millennium Item now belongs to me!" and kicks the table towards them and starts running down the alley.

"My Millennium Puzzle!" Yugi cried, chasing after him. "Come back here!"

"He's getting away! What do we do?" Tea asked.

Emily got up and started following Yugi. "We'll follow him this way! You try to cut him off around the corner!"

"You got it," she called back and started running. "Be careful, you guys!"

Yugi stopped and saw a trail of arrows posted on the walls. Clearly the thief wanted Yugi to follow him. Emily warned him that it might be a trap, but Yugi didn't have a choice but to keep going. He couldn't lose the Millennium Puzzle.

Tea ran through the streets, but couldn't find the phony fortune teller. Max and Bakura were walking together along the path to school and noticed her. "Hey, Tea, what's the rush?" Bakura asked.

Tea finally stopped to catch her breath. "Oh, Max, Bakura, someone stole Yugi's Millennium Puzzle!"

Max's eyes widen. "What?"

"No!" gasped Bakura. "Where is Yugi?"

"He and Emily are in the alley," she answered, pointing to the route behind them. "We split up to catch the guy."

"Well, don't let us detain you," said Bakura. "Keep looking and we'll get some help."

Tea thanks them and starts running again. Once she's out of sight, the evil spirits possessing Max and Bakura take control. "No one shall have the Millennium Puzzle but us." They took their Millennium Ring and Cobalt Star shard and began using them to track the Item. "Show us the way," the spirit of the Millennium Ring ordered. "Trace the Item's mystical energies and lead us to the Millennium Puzzle." And they began backtracking on the path Tea was on. "If we can control all seven Millennium Items, we can control power unimaginable. And we will make sure that nobody stands in our way."

They stopped in front of the alley where the table had been knocked over and the crystal ball had been shattered. "Which way?" And the Millennium Ring pointed down the path in the alley. "Ah, yes, Yugi and his Millennium Puzzle are close."

"Sorry, Tea, but we can't have you and your sniveling friends interfering with our destiny," the evil Max said and began rearranging the arrows. Her partner joined her as they went down the path.


	3. The Mystery Duelist

The Mystery Duelist

"Where are you hiding?" Emily called out. "Whoever that guy is, he's leading us like lab mice through a maze. But it doesn't make sense. I mean, why would a thief want his victim to follow him?"

Yugi wondered the same thing. The last arrow led them to an abandoned warehouse. They opened the doors and walked inside. "My Millennium Puzzle is here," he told Emily. "Even though we're apart, I can sense it. But I don't see it." He raises his voice. "We know you're in here!"

The sound of sinister laughing filled the room. "Congratulations, little Yugi. You've found me. Or should I say I've found you and the Millennium Puzzle."

Yugi looked and saw his Puzzle pinned to a wall. "Give it back to me."

"It's not going to be that easy for you," said the thief's voice. "If you want it back, you're going to have to fight me for it. That's right, Yugi, you and I are going to duel and the winner gets to keep your Millennium Puzzle. Are you up to the challenge, Yugi? I've waited a long time for this."

The whole room was finally lit up and Yugi and Emily saw a dueling arena. They faced their front and saw the cloaked man they were pursuing. "Who are you?" Emily demanded.

"And what do you want with my Millennium Puzzle?" Yugi added.

"I desire the power your Item contains within. But according to the rules of its ancient magic, I have to win it from you in a duel." He paused for a moment, then continued, "As for who I am, let's just say that I am the one who shall control your destinies as I have controlled others' and that I am not unfamiliar with the power of a Millennium Item. Indeed, I understand more about the hidden mysteries than you will ever know. Take your Puzzle; there are many secrets within it of which you and even the spirit that inhabits it are unaware. That's why I will add it to my collection."

"Yugi shouldn't have to duel you for _his_ Millennium Puzzle," Emily debated. "It already belongs to him."

"It's in _my_ possession now," the thief reminded her. Seeing that he has a point, Yugi accepts his challenge. Pleased with his decision, the thief walks up to his side of the arena.

Yugi knew that if he were to have a chance against this mysterious opponent, he would need Yami's help. But the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle could barely hear Yugi's thoughts and was having difficulty trying to communicate. Yugi was going to have to hold his own this time. He was worried because losing the duel meant losing his Puzzle forever. Before their brief communication ceased, Yami encouraged Yugi to have faith in the Heart of the Cards.

"Prepare to lose your Puzzle," the thief said as he and Yugi took their places in the arena.

"I don't think so," Yugi argued.

"Remember, Yugi, I have seen your future, foretold your fate, and this duel will be your last."

Emily thought that while Yugi and his opponent were occupied with their match, she could find a way to pry the Millennium Puzzle off the wall. She was too short to reach the Puzzle, so she decided to find something she could use to break the chain.

It was hard for Yugi not to be nervous. He didn't know who he was up against and not all of his friends were present to support him. But he was going to give it his best shot. To start, he played Celtic Guardian in attack mode. His mystery opponent played a monster in defense mode.

"What's the matter," Emily taunted, "Don't you have the courage to face Yugi head-on?"

He heard her and replied, "I don't need to. It's your boyfriend who'd better go on the offensive if he hopes to win back his Puzzle."

Yugi saw that he was right and declared an attack. His attacked revealed the hidden monster. It was Cyber Jar and when revealed, destroyed itself and all other monsters on the field. After that, both players were required to draw five new cards. Yugi decided to change his strategy and play a monster in defense mode. His opponent summoned two monsters called Mechanicalchaser and Ground Attacker Bugroth. Recognizing that they're machines, Yugi wonders if his opponent is who he thinks he is. "Show yourself, Bandit Keith!" He does as told and pulls his hood back. Neither Yugi nor Emily could believe it. The last time they remembered seeing Keith was when he lost to Joey in the Duelist Kingdom finals and was banished from the island for cheating. "What happened to you?"

"I am not Bandit Keith. I only speak through him since he's become my mind-controlled slave."

Emily gasped hearing that. "What do you mean? How can this be?"

He explains his story. "After Bandit Keith was removed from Duelist Kingdom by Pegasus, he fought for his life against the harsh ocean waters. My followers and I were on our way to retrieve some very special items when we fished him out of the sea. I'm always looking for new minds to control and Bandit Keith seemed like the perfect puppet to do my bidding. And as fate would have it, he led me to the boy who possesses the legendary Millennium Puzzle. Is it all sinking in now, little Yugi? Now that I have found you after all these years, I will stop at nothing to make your Puzzle and all of its ancient powers mine."

Under the control of his master, Keith plays Machine King in attack mode. Its special ability gave it 100 attack points for every machine monster in play. With 2500 attack points, its Jet Punch defeated Yugi's hidden monster Silver Fang. Yugi didn't have a card in his hand strong enough to attack. So he continued to defend himself. Keith played Megasonic Eye to raise Machine King's attack points once again. Its Jet Punch destroyed the Giant Soldier of Stone.

With his defenses being taken down, Yugi decided to take it to the offense. So he played Curse of Dragon and Gaia the Fierce Knight and merged them together to form Gaia the Dragon Champion. By attacking Mechanicalchaser, Machine King lost 100 attack points and Keith lost 750 life points. It was impressive, but not good enough. First, Keith switched his weaker machines to defense mode to protect his life points. Then he played Machine Conversion Factory to raise their attack and defense points by 300. Machine King was once again the strongest monster in play and attacked Yugi's Dragon Champion. Yugi drew his card and saw it was the Summoned Skull. He had an idea how to trash the machines. "Your machines might be the most impressive monsters I've seen, but they're still made out of metal. So I play Makiu the Magical Mist."

"You think a little mist will destroy my machines?"

"It won't destroy them, but it will cause them to rust and lower their power." Just like Yugi said, the machines began to rust and their power dropped back down to their original value. "My Mist turns your machines into one gigantic lightning rod, making them the perfect target for my Summoned Skull." And thanks to the Mist, Summoned Skull's attack points were raised to 3250. Its Lightning Strike destroyed Machine King and Keith's life points went down to 500.

Emily jumped and cheered. "All right! Any more machines for the junk heap?"

"You little-" Keith snarled. Yugi was playing impressively so far, but his opponent had a few hidden surprises in store.

Tea made it to the school and told Joey and Tristan that Yugi and Emily were in trouble and needed help. They were on their way until they were stopped by Coach Morty and reminded that they volunteered to help for the soccer game. Joey and Tristan told the coach they needed to attend to an emergency, but stretched the truth a little and said Tea's kitten Fluffy was sick and needed to be rushed to the veterinarian's. The coach burst into tears and told the three of them they were excused. It wasn't cool to mislead Coach Morty, but they had to do it. It was still an emergency.

Back at the abandoned warehouse, Keith finally drew his card and activated the magic of Graceful Charity. Now he could draw three new cards and discard two unneeded ones. Under the control of his master, Keith lowers his hand and three cards slide from his wrist. He places his hand over his deck to convince Yugi that he's drawing them from it. "Your fate is sealed, Yugi. I've drawn the ultra-rare Zera Ritual card."

Emily steps back and trembles. "Yugi, I've never heard of the Zera Ritual card before."

"Me neither," he tells her, "but I've got a sneaking suspicion that we're about to learn more about it than we really want to know."

"How perceptive. Once I put Zera Ritual into play, this duel is over."

"Activating a ritual card takes more than talk," Emily remarked.

Yugi agrees. "You also need to have the right monster in your hand and what are the odds of that?" Keith holds the card up to show him. "No way!" gasped Yugi.

"Maybe now you finally realize the power you're up against." By sacrificing his two remaining monsters, Keith brought forth a terrible fiend known as Zera the Mant. With an attack strength of 2700, its Jagged Claws tore through the Summoned Skull like it was a curtain.

Tea finally brought Joey and Tristan to the alley where she and her friends split up. "So they went running down this alley," Joey asks. "These arrows. Hey, you think Yugi and Emily tagged these up for us?"

"I don't think they had the time, Joey," Tea answered. Tristan called for their attention and told them to look ahead. The posted arrows pointed in many different directions. "Oh, no," Tea moaned worriedly. "How are we going to find them?"

Now that Yugi knew what he was up against, it was clear there wasn't a card strong enough to take Zera down. He stared at his deck for a while and finally drew. It was the Koumori Dragon and it was too weak. But Yugi placed it on the field to protect his life points.

To strengthen his forces, Keith played a pink dragon named Seiaryu, but didn't attack yet. He played a card face down. Next, he played Stop Defense to reveal Koumori Dragon and switch it into attack mode. Zera used its Jagged Claw to rip through the Koumori Dragon and deal serious damage to Yugi's life points. Yugi was down to his last 300. In hopelessness, he played a monster in defense mode. Seiaryu attacked and engulfed the Mystical Elf in its Razor Flare Blast. To end his turn, Keith placed two more cards face down and switched Zera into defense mode.

Yugi draws his card and figures he might have a plan to turn the duel around. He plays Dark Magician in defense mode, Magical Hats to protect him, and a card face down. But Keith saw that move coming and revealed one of his traps. It was Magic Jammer and by discarding one card from his hand, Keith could cancel the effects of the Magical Hats and expose the Dark Magician. He revealed his next hidden card. It was Curse of Fiend and it had the power to force monsters to switch into the opposite mode they were in. So Seiaryu switched into defense mode and Zera and Dark Magician switched into attack mode. Zera was about to attack, but Yugi was ready. He activated his Mirror Force trap to reflect Zera's attack back at him and Seiaryu. But Keith removed Mirror Force's effect by playing Solemn Judgement. For the price of half of his life points, Mirror Force was removed and Dark Magician was destroyed. It was a small price for Keith to pay. He was down to his last 250, but Yugi was down to his last 100.

Emily could see that Yugi was overwhelmed by Zera's power and really needed the support of his friends. "Don't give up, Yugi! You've lasted this long and you can make it through to the end! I'm here for you and so are the rest of our friends! We believe in you, so don't give up!"

Easy for her to say. She was the only one cheering from the sidelines. Yugi tried to believe that the others were with him as well, but it would be a lot easy for him if he heard words of encouragement from Joey, Tristan, and Tea. But he tried to believe. He really needed to believe in the Heart of the Cards right now. He slowly drew his card. Seeing that it just might help, Yugi places it on the field and plays a monster in defense mode.

It didn't matter what kinds of cards Yugi had in play. Keith was going to end the duel. He played another rare magic card called Tribute to the Doomed. By sacrificing a card from his hand, Keith could destroy any card Yugi had on the field. But Yugi revealed his hidden card. It was the Living Arrow and he used it to backfire Keith's magic card and destroy Zera.

The evil spirits possessing Max and Bakura made it to the warehouse. When they got there, they began to sense dark magic. They went to the upper deck and sensed where it was coming from. "Fascinating," the spirit of the Millennium Ring whispered. "The dark energies we detected are within Yugi's opponent. Bandit Keith is just a puppet under the control of an evil master."

"Well, this puppet show's over. Only we shall possess the Millennium Puzzle," his partner decided. Her eyes glowed and she began tapping into the powers of her Cobalt Star shard. "Star shard, sever the strings that bind this man. Free his mind from the Shadow Realm."

The man controlling Keith felt his spell over him break, but didn't know what happened or how. Only another Millennium Item or another object with the power of the Gods could sever a connection so strong. That made him wonder if someone else was after the Millennium Puzzle.

Keith began to snap out of it. "Where am I? And what on Earth am I wearing?"

"It looks like you're so-called unbeatable Zera the Mant is ancient history," Yugi cheered. "Now it's time for me to win this duel once and for all and take back my Puzzle!"

"Yugi Muto? What are you doing here?" Then Keith began to lose it again as his master tried regaining control over his mind. He placed his hands over his head and cried out, "There's someone inside my head!"

"Shut up and duel," his master ordered, speaking through him.

Keith continued to try to resist. "Go away!"

"Bandit Keith, who is it that's controlling your mind?" Emily asked.

Keith's brainwasher regained control over his mind, but knew it wouldn't last long. He left the platform, pushed Emily aside, and grabbed the Millennium Puzzle. "If I can't have the Millennium Puzzle, then no one can!"

"No! Keith, wait! Don't!" Yugi cried. But it was too late. Keith smashed the Puzzle against the wall of the platform and the pieces came apart. "NO-O-O!"

Emily tried to gather the pieces, but Keith grabbed her by the neck and pushed her against the wall. "I can't have you standing in my way again. But perhaps I can use you to my advantage."

Emily struggles as she tries to make him lose his grip. Gathering all of her strength, she cries out, "Yugi!"

Suddenly, the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle start glowing. On the upper deck, the Millennium Ring and Cobalt Star shard start reacting as well. _What's going on?_ The man controlling Keith's mind wondered. _I sense a powerful magic within this girl. It's too strong to be the magic of a Millennium Item. Ah! Could she be_? He began speaking through Keith once again. "Yes! Yes, she is! At long last, I've found you," he paused for a second, then finished and said, "Princess Emily!"

"What?" Emily gasped, feeling his grip on her neck loosening a little. "What are you talking about? I'm not a princess!"

"Your petty tricks cannot deceive me. Tell me, if you're not the Egyptian princess, how is it you possess a shard of the Millennium Star?"

The spirit of the Millennium Ring was surprised, but his partner knew this would come eventually. But they agreed they had to stop this. Still in control of their vessels, but easing the control a little bit, they swing in for the rescue. Max pushes Keith aside, causing him to lose his balance and fall from the arena.

Emily coughed a couple of times and cleared her throat. "Where'd you guys come from?" she asked, startled.

"Hi, Emily," Bakura said, helping her up. "Tea told us what happened and we came to help." He and Max helped gather all the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle. "Oh, my. Keith certainly did a number on your Puzzle," he told Yugi.

Max smiled. "Well, better shattered than stolen, I suppose."

Yugi came down and took the pieces in his hands. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It took me forever to solve the Millennium Puzzle the first time."

Emily finished rubbing her neck. "Well, since you did it before, maybe solving it now will be a little easier."

 _And once you've completed it, we'll be sure to take it from you,_ the spirit of the Millennium Ring wondered. _But in order to make sure that nobody stands in our way, we'll need to manipulate a piece or two. Yugi, you and Emily are such naïve fools. You have no idea of the ancient powers your Millennium Puzzle contains within. For when combined, all seven Millennium Items unleash a great power. The pharaoh and his loyal minions thought they could banish the power of the shadows forever by dividing it among the seven Millennium Items and hiding them away. But the time has come for us to claim that power and use it for ourselves._

The spirit of the Cobalt Star shard began to join in the matter. _The time has also come for the power of the Stars to be unleashed into this world once again._

Her partner remembered. _Yes. To protect his daughter, the pharaoh destroyed the Millennium Star and sent her to a new home in hopes that she would never be found. But she has been and it's time for her to awaken and face her destiny. But for now, we'll keep our intentions on the Millennium Items._ The two fiends grasped the Puzzle pieces in their hands and began transferring portions of their spirits within them.

 _Unbeknownst to Yugi, a part of us will live within the Millennium Puzzle. From within these pieces, we shall explore the Puzzle's mystical components and one day, claim them for ourselves_. Max and Bakura walked up to Yugi and gave them the pieces in their hands.

"Thanks, guys. The last thing I need is to lose a piece or two."

Bakura chuckles. "Yes, you can't complete it without them all."

"Thanks a lot," Emily told them. "You guys totally saved the day." Max and Bakura climbed down from the arena, but fell and softly hit the ground. "Are you all right?"

They rubbed themselves to ease the pain. "Yes, we're fine. We've got to get back to school."

"We'll be right behind you guys just as soon as we unhook our chain," Yugi called. With his hands full of the Millennium Puzzle pieces, Emily decided to find something she could use to pry the chain from the wall.

Keith groaned and stirred. He could feel that someone was still in his head and trying to control him again. Unable to calm down, he yells and swings a pole around, paying no attention to what he's attacking. Yugi and Emily saw that there was fuel and machinery in the warehouse. They begged Keith to stop, but as he continued to swing, sparks of electricity flew and wires came apart and came into contact with the fuel and immediately, the place was set on fire.

Tea, Tristan, and Joey wandered in circles as they followed the arrows on the walls. They were exhausted and irritated. Tea was the first to notice black smoke rising in the distance. They decided to check it out.

The fire was spreading rapidly. Yugi tried to undo the chain, but it was too tight. He told Emily to find a way out and escape, but she refused to leave without him. The problem was she had asthma and if she continued to inhale the smoke, it would take its toll on her lungs and kill her. She placed her handkerchief over her mouth, but it was doing so little to help.

The trio came to the burning warehouse and knew someone was in danger because they could hear screaming. Tea rushed back to call the fire department while Joey and Tristan tried breaking down the door to get in.

Yugi remained where he was trying to reassemble the Millennium Puzzle. He thought that if he solved it and he didn't survive, then maybe the spirit would. But it was hard for Yugi to focus. The heat made him dizzy and the smoke made his eyes sting. Emily continued to hold on for Yugi despite her condition. He was more important than her health now. And if this fire was going to kill him, then she wanted to stay with him to the end.

Joey and Tristan finally broke down the door and made it inside. At the same time, Keith ran past them and charged outside, obviously still driven mad. He was out, but Joey and Tristan looked around to make sure no one else was in danger. Then they saw Yugi and Emily at the arena. "Yugi, Emily, what are you doing?" Tristan asked.

"Let's go," Joey called.

"We can't leave yet, guys," Emily told them and began coughing again.

"I've got to finish putting the Millennium Puzzle back together," said Yugi. Carefully, Joey and Tristan walked to the arena to get them out. Yugi finally finished solving the Puzzle, but was about to lose consciousness. Emily was on her knees and about to pass out as well, but she continued to hold on to Yugi.

Seeing that Emily wouldn't leave without Yugi and he wouldn't leave without his Puzzle, Joey and Tristan decided to help them pry it from the wall. They could reach the chain, but had a hard time unhooking it. It was actually too hot to touch. Then they found poles like the one Keith was swinging around. They hit it against the chain, but still had no luck. Then Joey got an idea. The bar Yugi's Puzzle was attached to had a hole big enough to fit the pole inside. So he and Tristan put the pole through the hole and pulled together. Finally, the bar came lose and they could escape.

Tea watched as the firemen doused the flames. "Oh, please hurry up," she begged. "My friends are in there!" Then she saw Joey and Tristan come out of the warehouse carrying Yugi and Emily with them. "Yugi! Emily!"

"Don't worry, Tea," Joey sighed. "They're safe and sound now. Hey, Tristan, not for nothing, pal, but let me tell you, you and I are heroes."

Yugi and Emily were rushed to the hospital. They were placed in rooms across from each other. The doctors also patched up Joey and Tristan's burns. Yugi regained consciousness and was happy to see his friends. "How can Emily and I ever thank you for saving our lives back there," he said gratefully to Joey and Tristan. "You put yourselves in danger to make sure we were okay. You're the greatest friends anyone could ever have."

"That's what friends are for," said Joey.

Tristan nods. "It's a good thing I spotted them."

"And what about me," Joey asked. "Thanks to my brilliant idea, we were able to pry your Puzzle off the wall."

"Yeah, brilliant," Tristan chuckled. "Let's stick the pole into the hole and we'll both pull on it really hard."

Joey growls at that. "Say what?"

"Say nothing. You heard me."

They were about to start fighting, but Yugi knew how to stop them. "Knock it off or I won't share my food with you." Hearing that, Tristan and Joey immediately broke it up. Yugi turns his attention to Tea and asks her, "Are you okay, Tea? You seem kind of quiet."

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just been a long day." She got up and decided to go check up on Emily.

Max came by with a tray of food for Yugi. She did volunteer work at the hospital and was helping to look after her friends. Though Yugi promised Joey and Tristan that he would share his lunch with them, they had their own ideas on how to split the meal. "I'll take the sandwich," Joey decided.

"What about me?" Tristan asked.

"You can have the Jell-O," Joey told him.

Max had a better idea. "Yugi's the one in the hospital bed. Why don't you guys split the Jell-O and let him eat the sandwich?" Yugi appreciated Max's help and agreed with her. So the meal was spilt as she decided.

Tea left the room and saw the doctor coming out of Emily's room with his charts. "How is she?"

"She's stable," he answers. "It's a good thing she got here when she did. After inhaling all that smoke, a minute later and she wouldn't have made it. But amazingly, she's going to be just fine. But she'll have to stay here for a while."

Tea sighs of relief. "Thank God."

The doctor smiles at her. "She's awake if you want to see her. But keep it brief. She needs to take it easy." And with that, he went on his way to his office.

Tea quietly steps inside and sees Emily lying in her bed with an oxygen mask over her face. She was also given fluids to rehydrate. Tea sits down at her bedside. "Emily?"

She opens her eyes and smiles. "Hi, Tea. It's good to see you."

Tea smiles back. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Then Emily remembers. "Yugi, is he-?"

"He's okay," Tea tells her. "Joey and Tristan are too. The doctor said you're going to be back to normal soon."

"Well, physically, yes, but…" she sits up and removes her mask to speak clearly. "I'm scared, Tea. Someone's after Yugi's Millennium Puzzle."

Tea sighs and looks away. "I know and because of that, I almost lost you guys today."

Thinking about how worried she had her friend, Emily apologizes. "I'm sorry, Tea."

She holds her hand and tells her, "No, it's not you. I would have done the same thing if I was in your place. It's just that, ever since Yugi bonded with the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, everyone's been out to get him."

Emily nods. "That's why I'm afraid. I fear that this time, we're in more danger than ever. And I know we haven't seen that last of whoever it is that's after Yugi."

This was as brief as the conversation was going to go. Emily didn't want to bring up what happened when she was called a princess and was assumed of having Millennia's power. That would frighten Tea even more. Relaxing wouldn't be easy either for any of the friends.


	4. The Past is Present

The Past is Present

Yugi and Emily were released from the hospital together in the evening. Fearful of being attacked again, they knew it wouldn't be safe walking in the city alone. So they walked home together. But their minds were too full of what happened to even talk to each other. They didn't even pay any attention to Tea as she called their names.

A television report was being broadcasted in the news. Ishizu Ishtar of the Egyptian historical society had arrived into town to announce the opening of her exhibit. She claimed to have unearthed relics depicting the earliest known games played in Egypt and said that they were the same very dangerous games played not for fun, but for power.

Listening to the broadcast, Mokuba thought that the exhibit sounded awesome and would be cool to check out. But his brother wasn't very interested and had a company to run. Just then, his phone rang. "Kaiba."

"This is Ishizu Ishtar. You should really pay closer attention to my press conference."

"How'd you know I was watching?" Kaiba turned his attention back to the television screen. Ishizu was inviting Kaiba to the Domino museum for a private exhibition. If it was a personal invitation, he knew he couldn't refuse. But if this was going to be boring, he would leave right away.

That night, Kaiba was given a ride to the museum. "Keep the engine running. I won't be long," he told his driver and walked inside.

Ishizu and her colleagues stood in the central gallery to welcome Kaiba's presence. "Thank you for coming, Seto Kaiba."

Kaiba looked around and saw that no one else was present. "Where are the other guests?" he asked out of curiosity. Ishizu reminded him that it was a private exhibition and he was the only one invited.

Her colleagues stood by the doors to guard them. "We've locked all the entrances. Nobody's allowed in or out."

"It's only been a minute, but I'm already bored," Kaiba was saying. "If you don't tell me what this is all about, I'm leaving now."

He turned around to head for the door, but Ishizu said to him, "Excuse us. We've traced a string of thefts and we have to be careful. You may leave any time you wish, Seto Kaiba. However, I believe it is in your best interest to be here."

Kaiba turned back towards her. "Really? How do you know what's best for me?"

Ishizu began leading Kaiba through the museum. Her collection was placed in a restricted area so it could be protected. Thieves were after her artifacts and she needed to get them to the museum undetected. As they walked, Ishizu asked, "Kaiba, do you believe in destiny?"

"Does it matter?"

"Ancient Egyptians thought that the true path of one's life was predetermined because history repeats itself throughout the ages in a never ending circle. They would say it was not your choice to come here, but destiny that the two of us would meet."

Kaiba stopped walking. "Look, all that ancient nonsense may interest you, but I didn't come here for Egyptian history 101. I came here because you said it would be worth my while. But it looks like you've just wasted my time. If there's a point to all this, let's get to it already. I have a company to run. You said you had an exclusive offer for me." When he spoke on the phone with Ishizu, she asked him if he was interested in possessing a card stronger than Exodia.

"I know everything about Duel Monsters and nothing can stop Exodia. So quit the charade and tell me what's going on," Kaiba demanded.

Ishizu explained to Kaiba that Duel Monsters was based upon a dangerous game that was played five thousand years ago in Egypt. No one was more passionate about the game than Maximillion Pegasus. He became obsessed with the game and decided to reinvent it for modern times. The point of the matter was unbeknownst to many duelists, Pegasus created several cards that were kept at his disposal and never released to the public because they were too powerful and dangerous. Listening to her story, Kaiba started to become somewhat interested. Seeing it in his eyes, Ishizu asks Kaiba to keep following her.

Yugi sat in his bedroom pondering over what happened today and how he almost lost himself and two of his friends in the fire. What he was really scared of was the man who attacked them. Yami spoke to him. "It's all right, Yugi. Now that you've reassembled the Millennium Puzzle and our bond is restored, we can face our new enemy together."

"But we don't even know what he looks like or when we'll encounter him again."

"Maybe, but haven't we been in some tough spots before? We'll get through this one together," he promised.

Next door, Emily was having trouble sleeping. She dreamed about being in a valley with statues of people having the heads of animals. They looked like the Egyptian Gods she had read about. "Where am I?" she asked herself. At the end of the valley, she saw a stairwell leading to what she thought to be a temple. She also saw a familiar figure climbing up the stairs. "Is that Yugi?" She heads for the stairs and calls out to him. "Yugi, stop!" she called out. He stopped walking and gave her his attention. "Where are you going?" But he didn't answer. He continued his path up the stairs and made it to the entrance. "Yugi!"

But it wasn't Yugi. It was actually Yami. Finally, he answered, "To face my destiny. Goodbye."

"Don't go!" Emily cried as the doors closed. Then she woke up and found herself lying in her bed. She took a couple of breaths to relax herself, but couldn't go back to sleep. She had a bad feeling that something terrible was going to happen.

Back at the Domino museum, Ishizu led Kaiba to one of the lower levels where her collection was stored. She had a feeling he would be in for a surprise. "Kaiba, behold the origins of the games you know."

Then the lights came on. "It can't be," Kaiba gasped, looking at the images on the tablet in front of him. "These carvings look like Duel Monster cards! That means your story is true."

"I see you've come to your senses," said Ishizu. "Furthermore, there's a theory that these monsters were real. Egyptian sorcerers summoned them to do their bidding. But they soon learned that the monsters could not be controlled. They destroyed countless villages and brought Earth to the brink of destruction. The citizens turned to the pharaoh for help. Though he could not permanently defeat the monsters, he managed to use his magic to seal them in stone tablets and restore peace.

"However, over time, evil sorcerers learned to control the monsters and release them from the tablets. With their power, they were confident that nothing could stand in their way. They betrayed the pharaoh and formed an army against him."

Kaiba turned his attention to another tablet. "Wait a minute. The images in this tablet look like Pokémon. But how can that be? It's a totally new card game."

"These creatures we call Pokémon today actually lived on this earth five thousand years ago as well. They were as very real as the Shadow Creatures, but Pokémon could actually be controlled by humans and developed a strong bond with them. It is said that they became extinct in the age of the Shadow Games. As you can see, the only evidence we have of the existence of these wonderful creatures is their images in the tablets," Ishizu explained.

Kaiba turned and noticed Max was viewing the tablets, which took him by surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"The doors were locked and I couldn't leave," she plainly answered. "I was actually here for a while, so I thought I'd check this stuff out. It's actually very cool."

Ishizu didn't mind Max's presence. She could tell she wasn't a thief and could perhaps learn something from all of this. Ishizu walked further down and came to another tablet. "This is the one you must look at," she said to Kaiba. "This carving is the reason I called you here tonight. It depicts one of the greatest conflicts between the pharaoh and his greatest opponent. Closely examine this artifact, Kaiba, and your life will never be the same."

Kaiba did look at the tablet, but was shocked at what he was seeing. "That's the pharaoh? But that's Yugi! And the monster carved above him is the Dark Magician!"

"On the left is the sorcerer fighting against him," said Ishizu. "That's you, Kaiba. If you still have any doubt, look at his monster. It's the Blue-Eyes White Dragon." The story behind the tablet stated that the sorcerer was loyal to the pharaoh, but developed a lust for power and control. Because of that, he wanted to prove he was superior to his leader. The sorcerer marched into the pharaoh's chamber and challenged him to a duel. The pharaoh accepted his challenge and the toughest fight deciding the fate of the world broke out. The sorcerer was fighting to control the world and the pharaoh was fighting to save it. Now, five thousand years later, the ancient struggle plays out again. "Now do you believe in destiny, Kaiba?"

Kaiba tightened his grip on the handle of his briefcase as he continued to stare in disbelief. "This can't be real. There's no way. This piece of rock has got to be a fake."

"If you won't trust my words, then you must look into the past and watch the battle firsthand, which I can help you do with my Millennium Necklace," Ishizu says and places her hands close to her Necklace to activate its powers. "Now open your mind and see into the past!"

Kaiba looks down at the scene. He sees a lot of people in what looks like a throne room getting ready to fight. "What is this place?"

The sorcerer sharing Kaiba's countenance raises his arm and decrees, "I hereby declare a challenge to the pharaoh. By the rights of tradition, duel me if you are not a coward."

The sorcerer's followers start chanting. "Magic powers, heed my cry, release the monsters trapped inside." And a tablet rises from the floor and a purple Dragon is summoned from it.

"As the pharaoh's loyal servant, I will stand against you, traitor!" And his own tablet rose up. The creature summoned from it was the Winged Dragon and Guardian of the Fortress.

Kaiba saw the pharaoh sitting on his throne watching the duel. There was no denying he looked exactly like Yugi. But Kaiba saw someone else watching beside him. She looked very familiar to Kaiba and he wondered who she was. The woman sitting beside the pharaoh wore a white dress and even had white hair. Looking closely, Kaiba could assume she was the queen. He even noticed a bundle cradled in her arms. It looked like an infant, but it was hard to tell.

Refocusing his attention on the fight, the right hand servant declares an attack. "I banish you all to the Shadow Realm!" And the sorcerer's Dragon is beaten and the tablet is knocked down. Magic lightning comes down and strikes some of his followers, condemning them to the Shadow Realm.

"Oh, no," Kaiba gasped. "What is this?"

Yugi remained in his room and sat on his bed as he continued to scold himself. "I feel like a total loser. I almost lost you and Emily in the fire. What if I mess up again?"

"You didn't fail," Yami told him.

"Only because my friends came."

"You're wrong, Yugi. You need to believe in yourself like I believe in you. In all my years, never before have I encountered a soul as brave as yours. There is a reason why Millennia chose you to wield her Puzzle. You have the heart of a champion and a soul that is courageous. At one time, you could have been pharaoh."

It was hard for Yugi to understand what Yami was telling him. He just looked up and stared at the moon with uncertainty.

Kaiba found himself back in the museum with Max and Ishizu. Max actually also got a glimpse of what Kaiba was seeing and actually knew more about it than he did. Nonetheless, Ishizu continued to tell the story. "The battle raged with neither side showing any mercy. Both opponents summoned monsters increasingly more powerful than before." She focused her eyes on the bottom of the tablet. "The winner of the duel was written here. But as you can see, the hieroglyphics have worn away."

"I see," Kaiba said, not really caring.

"Yes, but though we don't know the outcome, there is still much more we can discover. Let us take another glance at the duel." And Ishizu tapped into the powers of her Millennium Necklace once again.

The duel left off with the sorcerer summoning another monster. It was La Jinn, the Mystical Genie of the Lamp.

The right hand servant spoke up. "Your La Jinn may be strong, but did you think I would not come prepared? It is no match for the combined fury of my two Dragons."

"Let two be one," the royal magicians chanted.

A green Dragon was summoned and it began to merge with the Guardian of the Fortress. "Unite, my Dragons! You shall be unstoppable!" And a thin golden Dragon was created. "Attack! Bombard the traitor with your Blazing Inferno!" The golden Dragon carried out his command and defeated La Jinn, condemning more of the sorcerer's followers.

The sorcerer growled. "You have not won yet, Pharaoh. This duel is far from over. Do you and your wife think that one of your pathetic minions is powerful enough to defeat me? I will shatter them from existence right before your very eyes!"

The vision ended and Kaiba had enough. "That sorcerer's a big mouth losing chump! You can't compare him to me!"

"Then maybe the final vision will convince you," Ishizu said.

"No!" But his surroundings changed and he was looking down at the duel again.

The sorcerer was about to make his greatest move. "You should have finished me of when you had the chance, for now I shall call forth the ultimate beast of destruction. This is the end, Pharaoh and Queen! My fellow monsters, you have all served me well. Wake from your eternal slumber and obey me one last time." Two tablets rise from the ground and Battle Ox and Mystic Horseman emerge from them. "Behold. I will offer them; infuse their power to bring forth the legendary Dragon." Then the synergy of the two monsters created a white light and a great Dragon appeared. "Behold the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon?" echoed Kaiba. The queen rose from her chair and gasped. The pharaoh did the same thing and held his wife close.

"Now, White Dragon, destroy them all with your White Lighting!" The Dragon roared and blasted all of the tablets, setting fire to the throne room. The sorcerer raised his staff and laughed in triumph. "Victory is mine!" he said and continued laughing. When the scene ended, Kaiba found himself on the floor looking at the tablet.

"Now are you convinced, Kaiba?" Ishizu asked him. "As I have said before, history is destined to repeat itself. It's not just coincidence that Yugi is your greatest opponent. You two have battled in the ancient past and it is your destiny to duel again."

Kaiba got to his feet and took his briefcase. "Thanks for the lecture, but I make my own destiny and I do what I want to do." And he headed for the stairs.

"Kaiba, what I thought you wanted were powerful monsters," said Ishizu. "The monsters that surpass the power of Exodia. What if I told you they were right in front of you?" Kaiba stopped and turned to listen to her. "Take a look at the top. They were the three most powerful and feared creatures in all of Duel Monsters. Obelisk the Tormentor, Slifer the Sky Dragon, the Winged Dragon of Ra. Control one and you can defeat a million armies. Wield all three and the planet itself will quake in fear."

"And Pegasus turned them into cards?" Kaiba asked.

"Yes."

"You lie. If he had them, why didn't he use them against me at Duelist Kingdom?"

"Because Pegasus feared the power of these Egyptian God cards," Ishizu answered. "You cannot fathom the magical energies contained. Pegasus could not control the power of the cards. They threatened to overwhelm and destroy him."

 _Cards that even make Pegasus quake in his boots_ , Kaiba wondered. _If I can get my hands on them, I'll be the most powerful duelist in the world once more. Yugi won't stand a chance. But how do I get them? I can't ask Pegasus. He's dropped off the face of the earth. They have to exist somewhere._ "Ishizu, what did Pegasus do with the cards?"

"He gave them to me for safekeeping. Pegasus realized that if these cards fell into the wrong hands, they could bring about the end of the world. He had me bury them in secret locations, but the cards were discovered. I must find them and hide them once again."

"Someone already found the cards? Tell me who."

Ishizu told Kaiba that the cards were discovered by a gang of underground elite duelists know as Rare Hunters. They collected cards to sell to the black market for profit, but kept the rare and powerful ones for themselves to destroy all oppositions. They were easily undetectable and often operated in shadow. But Ishizu had a plan to draw them out and find the stolen cards. That was where Kaiba came in. "Kaiba, if you were to start a Duel Monsters tournament, your reputation could attract the attention of the greatest duelists all over the world. This could be the greatest concentration of cards assembled in one location."

Kaiba understood her thought. "I see. It's a trap. The Rare Hunters won't be able to resist such tempting bait. They'll come by the drove like vultures to a carcass and they'll bring the Egyptian God cards." He certainly liked the idea and figured it would work.

Ishizu walked towards Kaiba. "One more thing; take this." And she presents him with a card. To Kaiba's surprise, it was Obelisk the Tormentor. Ishizu managed to retrieve it before it got stolen. "You may borrow it during the tournament, but I expect it back from you."

Kaiba just grinned. "It's not every day a card this rare is handed to me. What if I chose to keep it forever? What makes you think I can be trusted? I could walk out and you could never see it again."

"You will return the card to me," Ishizu said. "I have foreseen it."

"I'll bet," Kaiba scoffed.

"You may not yet believe in destiny, but before your journey is through, you will have to face your past."

Kaiba chuckled at that. "You know, I read that once in a fortune cookie. I'll organize this tournament, but not because of your fairy tales and hocus-pocus mind tricks. I'll only do it because I want to reclaim my title as the number one duelist in the world." And with that, Kaiba climbed the stairs and left the museum without saying another word. On the way home, he looked at the Egyptian God card in his hand. He couldn't wait to get his hands on the other two.

Yugi still had a hard time getting his mind off of his mysterious opponent. He remembered hearing him say he was familiar with Millennia's power and assumed he had a Millennium Item. He'd have to. How else would he be able to control minds? And why did the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle glow? Could Emily really be an ancient Egyptian princess? But if she had the Millennium Star, Yugi would have been able to sense it before. But Yugi remembered what Max said long ago in Duelist Kingdom, that the Star had been shattered. He also remembered hearing the menace mention possessing a shard of the Millennium Star. If it was a simple shard, it would explain not being able to sense it. It was now clear to Yami and Yugi that they had to stay together and protect Emily until everything was all sorted out. But even though he was promised they would make it through, Yugi was still afraid. But Yami believed in his friend.


	5. Getting to Know Each Other

Getting to Know Each Other

Tea looked outside and saw a storm. "Just great," she groaned. "There's rain after school."

Joey and Tristan were given a job by the custodian to mop the floors in the halls. Tristan found it to be boring, but noticed his pal was whistling. "Joey, we're on mop duty. What are you so happy about?"

Joey faces him and answers, "Well, my sister's finally getting her eye operation and it's all thanks to the three million bucks I won at Duelist Kingdom."

"That's sweet, so when do we get to see her?"

Joey looked down and swished his mop around in the bucket. "It's not that easy. My mom's going to be there. And ever since Serenity and I were separated as kids, my mom and I haven't exactly seen each other eye-to-eye."

To put his mind at ease, Tristan puts his arm over his shoulder. "So I'll go without you. My only concern is whether or not Serenity likes me."

"Don't get any funny ideas," Joey warned. He certainly didn't like the idea of his best friend hitting on his little sister.

"Just tell me which hospital Serenity's staying at and I'll visit her alone. You'd only be a third wheel."

Joey lost it and kicked his bucket across the hall. "Tristan!" he snarled and was at the point of breaking his back. "I'll send you to the hospital!"

Emily went to her locker and changed her shoes. She saw Tea standing by herself and walked up to her. "Tea, can I talk to you?"

"Sure, Emily. What's up?"

She looks the other way and says sadly, "I'm sorry I've been avoiding you. I haven't been feeling like myself since that day."

"It's okay," Tea told her. "You just needed a little space."

"But it's really not okay. It was wrong of me to push my best friend aside when she was only looking out for me." Emily finally faces her again. "So I want to make it all up to you. I thought that maybe…" she stopped herself and decided to try again. "Would you like to come over to my house for dinner tonight?"

Tea could see that Emily really was sorry and wanted to do something nice. So she smiled and nodded. "I'd like that a lot. If you want, I could also spend the night."

"Well, if the rain doesn't stop any time soon," Emily chuckled. "I mean, do you want to spend the night?"

"I just thought maybe a little best friend quality time would make you feel better after how you've been doing," Tea replied. Emily figured she could use a little time like that. It would take her mind off of a few things. Tea decided to give her mother a call and let her know what she'd be doing. Emily decided to wait at her locker.

Yugi saw Emily and called her to get her attention. Emily saw him at the door and walked over to him. "How have you been," Yugi asked her.

"I've been better," she answered. "What about you?"

He decided to get to the point. "I need your help. And so does the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle."

"It is about what happened back there?"

"Well, sort of. Do you remember the guy who attacked us? Well, whoever it was that tried to steal the Millennium Puzzle seems to know a lot about it. That reminded the spirit of how little he knows about it. But I think you can help. Maybe spending time with you might help him figure things out."

Emily would do anything to help a friend, but she didn't know any more about Yami than Yugi did. "But what could I possibly to do help?"

"Just be a friend to him," Yugi told her and started running for home.

"Wait, what's the plan," Emily called to him.

"10:00 tomorrow at Domino station," he answered. "Thanks, Emily!"

"You're welcome," she told him. She lowers her voice and tells herself, "I hope I really can help."

Tea got off of the phone with her mother. "I can spend the night, but I have to go home first and pack up everything I'll need."

"Great," Emily said and opened up her umbrella. "So I'll see you in a couple of hours?"

Tea nods and opens her umbrella. The girls tell each other to be careful on their way home. Emily decided to fill Tea in about the whole thing at dinner. When she got home, she changed out of her uniform and got dressed into a blue sweater and a pair of slacks. She figured she would start making dinner while waiting for Tea. Since it was raining, Emily decided to make something nice and warm like a pot of stew. She set the water to boil, diced up her favorite vegetables, minced the beef into little squares and set it on the stove, and mixed the broth with the water. After mixing it all together, she let the stew set for dinnertime.

It was around 5:00 when Tea came over. The stew was still setting, so to pass the time, the girls dueled for a few times. Emily finally came clean and told Tea what she and Yugi were talking about.

"He wants you to spend time with the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle?"

"I'm not really sure why he would ask me to," Emily replied. That was actually a lie. She had a lot of thoughts on why he would ask her. Even Tea knew just as much and told Emily to tell the truth. "Okay, I'll let it out. I think the spirit and I have some sort of connection and I think Yugi's been wondering the same thing."

"I don't see why he wouldn't," Tea said. "You were both attacked back there."

"But I think the real reason is because…" she stops herself for a moment. "Tea, do you remember what Pegasus' journal explained back in Duelist Kingdom?"

Tea did remember. "Something about combining Kaiba's technology with the Millennium Items to bring Cecelia back." Then Tea saw where Emily was going with this. "Wait, the journal also mentioned a Millennium Star and a princess. Emily, you're not saying-?"

Emily kept quiet for a second, then asked, "Tea, what if… I'm the princess?"

This time, Tea said nothing for a while. She finally asked, "Is there really any way of knowing?"

"I think that's what Yugi wants to find out. The guy who attacked us called me a princess and he must think I'm the one. I want to know for sure too. That's why tomorrow, I'm going to spend the day with the spirit and join him as we look for answers to what's going on."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Tea asked.

"I think for now, it should just be me and him."

Tea respected Emily's decision. "Okay, but I have an idea." She reached into her bag and pulled out a flyer. "You guys should check out the exhibit together. It might help you out."

Emily took the flyer. "Tea, what a great idea!" In gratitude, she hugged her best friend. Tea laughed and hugged her back. They were about to continue their game until the timer went off. The stew was finally ready. It wasn't like how Emily's mother always made hers, but it still tasted good.

The next morning, the sky was clear and the sun dried the city. "I have a feeling today is going to be awesome. Now if I can figure out what to wear, we can get out of here," Yugi said, going through his wardrobe.

Yami sat on the bed and asked, "Tell me, Yugi, what's this big surprise?"

"Well, if I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?" Yugi remarked.

Yami chuckled. "No, I guess not. But I still have many riddles to unlock and I don't have time for surprises."

"Don't worry. What I've got planned is going to help," Yugi said and winked.

Emily was already at Domino station casually dressed in a white shirt and skirt, a white scarf around her neck, and a white clip-on bow in her hair. She tried not to think of this arrangement as being set up on a date. Actually, all she could think about was what she could do to help Yami. _How does Yugi expect me to help the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle learn about his past? I mean, it's not like I can tell him anything about the Millennium Puzzle he doesn't already know_. Thinking about it made her feel like she had butterflies in her stomach. _This is way too much pressure._

Yugi ran through the streets and saw Emily right where he wanted her to be. "Ready or not, Spirit, this is where you take over."

The Millennium Puzzle glowed and Yami took control. It wasn't exactly what he was expecting. He was only called upon for a challenge and there wasn't a duel about to go on. He began stammering at the Puzzle, which caught Emily's attention. When Yami saw Emily looking at him, he felt embarrassed and held up his hand. "Hello." Emily returned the gesture.

They went to a small café in town for a drink. Yami just stared outside the window. _He seems to have a lot on his mind,_ Emily wondered as she took a sip from her cocoa. Trying to fight the tension, she decides to give it a shot. "I know what we can do." Then she reached into her purse and pulled out the flyer Tea gave her. "We can check out the ancient Egypt exhibit."

Yami looked at the flyer. "Now that could be interesting."

Emily nods. "And look here, the stone has the same symbol as your Millennium Puzzle. The exhibit might give us some answers or even clues about your past." When Yami said nothing and continued to look at the flyer, Emily told him. "We could do something else if you don't want to see the exhibit. It was just a thought."

"You must forgive me, Emily," Yami was saying. "Lately, I've felt like a stranger to myself. There are so many things about who I am and where I came from that I can't seem to remember."

"Is there anything about yourself that you do remember?"

"Well, I know that my origins lie in ancient Egypt and that my spirit now resides within the Millennium Puzzle, but that's about all. I feel as though, my spirit was somehow… reborn." To explain what he means, Yami tells Emily, "I feel as though I'm here for a reason, that destiny brought me to Yugi to accomplish something of great importance. When the Millennium Puzzle was almost taken from us, that feeling grew stronger. Then I wondered, maybe the key to why I'm here lies in my past."

Listening to Yami's words, Emily felt like she could relate to him. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm going through the same thing."

"You are?"

"Well, my situation's not exactly the same as yours, but I'm not sure why I'm here or what my future holds either. So for now, I'm just going to follow my heart and see where that takes me. And right now, where I'm standing, my heart is telling me to become a performer."

Yami smiled. "That's great, Emily. I always tell Yugi to follow his heart."

"And I may find that performing isn't for me, but I'll never know unless I try. I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't look at the unknown as an enemy, see it as an adventure." Emily rose from her seat with excitement. "All right, that's it. I've totally just inspired myself. Let's go see what the world has in store for us."

"Where are we going, Emily?" Yami asked as they left the café.

"Wherever we're inspired to go," she answered. "Life's an adventure."

Their first stop was the music store. Emily decided to listen to a sample of hits from Max's latest album. After listening to about three or four songs, she left the store without buying anything. After that, they took a stroll in the park. Emily crumpled up some crackers to feed to the pigeons. Some of the pigeons landed in Yami's hair and tried to mess it up. The scene made Emily laugh. She thought about taking a picture, but decided against it. To make Yami feel better, she brought some vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. Yami never tasted ice cream or chocolate before, but Emily promised him that he would love it. She chose chocolate because it didn't just taste good, but it also made people feel good. Yami took a spoonful and tasted it. He smiled, finding it delicious and feeling a little happier.

Emily took Yami with her to one of her favorite stops at the mall. It was a pet shop and Emily loved visiting the animals. She admired the many different colors of the birds, laughed at the puppies as they frolicked in play, and watched the rabbits cuddle up for a nap. The animals Emily loved most were the kittens. She loved to hold them and play with them. Seeing Emily show love and kindness to the animals made Yami smile at her like he had seen this demeanor before.

Yami finally found a place of interest. "Look, Emily, players can trade Duel Monster cards here."

"Congratulations. Today must be your lucky day." She looked at the poster on the window announcing the sale of Pokémon cards. "Hey, they sell Pokémon cards here too."

"Pokémon cards?" Yami had heard of the game, but hadn't gotten a chance to play it yet. It was actually still a little new.

"Let's go inside," Emily immediately said. "You can trade Duel Monster cards and I'll buy some Pokémon cards and tell you about the game." And that's what they did. While they were inside, Emily noticed that Yami was starting to look a little happier and actually having fun as he was trading cards.

They left the shop happy with their cards. One of the cards Yami got was a trap called Lightforce Sword. He decided it would be a good addition for his deck. Emily showed Yami some of the cards she bought. There were cards of common Pokémon like Pikachu, Eevee, Jigglypuff, and Meowth. She even managed to get a card of a rare Pokémon called Mew. The Pokémon card game was almost similar to Duel Monsters because opponents still did battle with creatures. There wouldn't be magic, but there were items players could use. After explaining the game as best as she could, Emily decided to give her cards to Yami as a gift.

Their next stop was the arcade. Emily loved coming here with the boys to play games and win prizes. There was a crowd at one of the games in back. It was that rock band game and who would have thought that Max would be playing? Well, it was a little similar to rock band. It took a team of two. One teammate would sing the song of choice and the other would play the guitar. Max was singing the songs and her friend and guitarist of her band, Skylar Hope, was playing the guitar. They always played alone, but didn't mind playing against another team.

The crowd cheered for Max and Skylar. Some of the songs in the game were actually written by Max herself. "I wonder where Max gets all these ideas for her songs," said a girl in the crowd.

"I don't care," said her brother. "I want to know where Skylar learned how to play her guitar."

Skylar shook her head to get her hair out of her eyes. "Who wants the honor of being Max and Skylar's next opponent?"

"Some kind of dueling music game," Yami wondered.

"Yeah, and it looks like fun," said Emily.

Max noticed Emily in the front of the audience. "What about you, Emily? You want a shot?"

"Why don't we ignore them and go someplace else?"

Emily shakes her head. "Max may be able to pitch a few high notes, but they're not high enough to scare me away."

"What are you doing, Emily?" Yami asked as she handed him her purse and walked up to the stage.

"Having some fun," she answered and took her microphone. "All right, let's go."

"We go when Max says we go," said Skylar.

Watching from within the Puzzle, Yugi remembered that Emily needed a guitarist in order to play. He had some experience with a guitar since he and his friends formed their own band together and often performed for the school. So he asked Yami to step down for a while so he could help her. Yami accepted his request and let Yugi take control. Yugi joined Emily on the stage and took the guitar in his hands.

"Hey, why don't you back out now and save yourself the embarrassment?" Skylar tormented.

"You're the ones who are going to be embarrassed," Emily argued.

"All right, you're going to wish you never stepped on our stage. So what do you say? Ready for us to rock your world?"

Emily tightened her eyes. "Get a life, Skylar," she groaned, irritated.

"It's time to make some noise," cheered the announcer in the game.

 _It's time Moneybags learned what real singing was all about,_ Emily thought. The song Emily decided she wanted to sing was one of her favorites. It was Like a Prayer, sung by Madonna. It started out slow with the singing and the playing wouldn't kick in for a while, but she would have fun. As she sang, everyone in the audience, boys and girls, became taken in by her voice.

"What a voice!"

"That girl can really sing!"

"Maybe Max is a little tired after that last number."

Skylar plucked the strings on her guitar to match the song note for note. When she saw that Emily was getting a lot of attention, she decided to break out a few moves of her own and really rock it with her guitar. As she moved around with attitude, Emily could see that Skylar was intentionally trying to hit her and interrupt her singing. _This girl's cheating!_ But Emily dodged Skylar's attacks and continued to sing with ease.

"Yeah, keep it clean, Skylar!" one girl cheered.

"They're still getting beat," laughed one of the boys.

His friend agreed. "Max and Skylar are going down."

Skylar was actually doing a lot badly as the song progressed. She tried to keep getting back the attention, but ended up hitting all the wrong notes on her guitar.

"Weak," the announcer said slowly.

 _Stupid machine_ , Skylar thought. _It must be broken!_ She tried to keep it together, but her concentration continued to slip. Even Max started to do badly as she was singing because of Skylar's mistakes.

"Whoa, Skylar's losing it! That new girl's just awesome!"

Finally, when the song was over, the scores were tallied. Yugi and Emily were the best performers this time. Skylar thought it wasn't fair and said she only kept messing up because her confidence was taken with the audience. Max tried to continue singing with ease, but all of Skylar's mistakes kept distracting her.

Now that the game was over, Yugi let Yami regain control. He and Emily left the arcade and went to the pond to enjoy the sunset. "I had a lot of fun today," Emily was saying. "I also know that it was Yugi who played with me back there, so I owe him my thanks. But did you see the look on Skylar's face? Hopefully getting beat at her own game will shut her up for a while."

"You were wonderful today," Yami told her. "I've been thinking about what you said, Emily, that when in doubt, you follow your heart even when you're unsure of where the road may lead you. Now I must do the same thing and follow mine. And my heart is telling me to uncover the secrets of my orgin."

 _He's really determined to know about his past,_ Emily thought. _But I have a bad feeing it's going to lead him and Yugi into danger._ But she didn't want Yami to sense that. "I'm glad my advice could help. And just know that your friends will be with you all the way."

"Thank you."

"And thank you, for today."

"What do you mean?"

"When Yugi asked me to spend the day with you, I was a little scared," Emily admitted. "I didn't know you as well as Yugi did. I didn't even know what to do when I met you today. But then I got excited and decided to show you all of my favorite places in town. I thought we'd have fun, but I also thought maybe it would help us to get to know each other a little bit. That gave me the confidence to be myself. I had a lot of fun today and I'm glad I got to share it with you. So thank you."

Yami smiles and moves closer to Emily. "I feel the same way. I'm glad I got to know you."

Just then, Max and Skylar showed up. "Do you two geeks mind if we cut in," Skylar asked.

"Now what do you want?" Emily asked, annoyed.

"We've humbly come to ask you for a second chance."

"Second chance?" repeated Emily.

"Max and I would have easily won if I hadn't hit the wrong notes on my guitar and kept messing her up. I think you owe us a rematch."

"Give it up," sighed Emily.

"I'll give you a rematch," Yami offered, "but we'll duel my way."

"Stay out of this, tough guy," Skylar barked. "This is between us gals."

Yami paid no attention. "Emily, may I finish off your opponent?"

"Umm, sure."

Skylar chuckled. "Good, I'm not afraid of either of you. Name your game."

"The game is Duel Monsters and if you lose, you're never to bother Emily again."

Max accepted his request. "But if Skylar wins, Emily's got to give up her dream of becoming a singer." Emily groaned hearing that, but Yami promised her he wouldn't lose.

The four of them went to Duke's game shop and used one of the available arenas. "Challenging Skylar Hope to a duel was a huge mistake!" Skylar laughed. "You two losers have no idea who you're dealing with."

"You're the one who's going to lose," Yami argued.

Skylar scoffed. "Listen, Max and I never lose. Hey, you may think you won today, Emily," she called from the arena. "But that was only because of a freak accident!"

"Emily won that round fair and square," Yami told Skylar.

She still wouldn't listen. "Believe what you want to believe, tough guy."

Yami saw that the only way to silence Skylar was to duel her. "It's time you learned your lesson, Hope."

"Let's duel!" cried both duelists.

Skylar decided to make the first move. "It's time to let loose the dogs of war." She summoned Giga-Tech Wolf, a mechanical canine with 1200 attack points.

"Or so you say," Yami says and draws his card. "Not bad. I summon Celtic Guardian. Attack! Destroy Giga-Tech Wolf with your Steel Sword!" And Celtic Guardian did just that with the swing of his blade.

Skylar gasped and lost 200 life points. "It looks like you got lucky, but I wouldn't let it go to your head." She drew her card and smiled. "I'll kick things off with a bang as I play Robotic Knight in attack mode." It was 200 points stronger than Celtic Guardian, but Skylar wasn't ready to attack yet.

Yami was confused. "What's Skylar up to?"

Emily heard him and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"It's strange," he was saying. "Skylar knows her monster is stronger than mine and I'm unprotected, but she just ended her turn." He turned his attention back to his opponent. "If you think you can win by waiting it out and keeping me in suspense, you're sadly mistaken."

"Ooh, I'm shaking in my heels," Skylar said mockingly. "Maybe your puny brain can't figure out my brilliant plan. That is, if you've even got a brain."

"Talk all you want. We'll see who wins in the end." Yami wanted to see what Skylar had planned, so he ended his turn without playing a card.

Skylar summoned another machine to the field. It was Woodborg Inpachi. It had only 900 attack points, but 2500 defense points, so Skylar played it in defense mode. To strengthen her monsters, Skylar played Machine Conversion Factory. Now they were 300 attack and defense points stronger.

 _Maybe Skylar's a far better duelist than I've given her credit for_ , echoed Yugi's thoughts in the back of Yami's mind. _With such a powerful defense, it's a lot harder to take down her life points. But she still made one mistake and it's going to cost her._

"Ready, Skylar Hope?" Yami asked and drew his card. "I play Curse of Dragon in attack mode. Incinerate Robotic Knight with your Dragon Flame!"

"Whoa, I just messed up!" Skylar said as her monster was destroyed. "I forgot to switch my Knight into defense mode!"

Emily watched in disbelief. "Skylar doesn't even know who she's up against."

"So far, you're hitting all the wrong notes," said Yami.

"Don't worry. I'm just tuning up for the grand finale. But first," Skylar said as she drew her card. "A surprise guest: Witch of the Black Forest! But there's more to come, duel fans. I play Polymerization to fuse Witch of the Black Forest and Lady of Faith into a rock and rolling new entity better known as the Musician King!" And Skylar's new monster appeared as a guitarist with 1800 attack points. "Rock it for the Celtic Guardian!" And the sound waves of the guitar's music removed the Guardian from the field. Skylar laughed. "I guess he wasn't a fan of the electric guitar. Not that I blame him. I actually make better music. I'll end my turn by placing this face down."

Yami took this turn to attack. "Curse of Dragon, fire your Flame and silence the Musician King!"

Skylar laughed once again. "Ha! You fell into my trap! I totally blame you!" And she revealed her face down card. "Time to pump up the volume with Metalmorph! It transforms Musician King into the fabulous Heavy Metal King and raises his attack points." Heavy Metal King was now 50 attack points strong enough to counter Curse of Dragon's attack and destroy it. "How pathetic! Looks like you're nothing but a one-hit wonder!"

Emily's boredom turned into worry. _Could Skylar actually win?_

Yami decided to take to the defense and summon his Giant Soldier of Stone to protect his life points. Skylar just scoffed. "You can't expect that stone sculpture to protect you. Metalmorph raises my guitarist's attack points for every attack. Kick it!" That attack gave Heavy Metal King a 650 point boost and destroyed the Stone Soldier, but dropped down to its original value now that the attack was over.

"The spirit's in major trouble!" gasped Emily.

Yami knew what he needed to do. He summoned Dark Magician and declared an attack.

"The fun just never ends," said Skylar. "With Metalmorph's effect, Heavy Metal King's attack power is greater than that of the Dark Magician's."

Yami could see that Skylar didn't know the rules of her card. "Skylar, your ability to miscalculate is uncanny."

"Say what?"

"Your overconfidence renders you blind," he clarified. His mage's Dark Magic attack removed Skylar's guitarist from the field. "Your Heavy Metal King is shattered."

"Impossible!" Skylar cried. "My monster's attack points were higher because of Metalmorph!"

Yami explained to Skylar that she was almost right, but she left out the rule that Metalmorph only raises her monster's attack points when it's the one attacking. And since it only received the power bonus when it attacked, her monster's attack points went back to their original value of 2050. Plus, since Dark Magician attacked, Heavy Metal King didn't receive the power bonus. "Metalmorph is only powerful when used correctly. You should have paid closer attention to the instruction manual."

Skylar lost her grip on the cards in her hand. "But that just isn't fair," she protested. "You must have cheated! Who are you anyway?"

"Just call me Yugi," he replied.

"Huh? Wait a sec, that name sorta rings a bell." When Skylar finally recognized it, her eyes widened. "There's no way! Not the same Yugi who defeated Pegasus at Duelist Kingdom! It _can't_ be you!" Now that Skylar knew who her opponent was, she decided to withdraw from the arena. "Forget it, I can't hang around you. I'm out, man. I'm a guitarist, not a duelist!"

Outraged, Emily rose from her seat and marched up to the arena. She stopped in front of Skylar and scowled at her with her hands on her hips. "Yugi takes a slight lead in the duel and you decide to give up? That's just like when you tried to cheat and hit me with your guitar in our game! Look at you, Skylar! Where's your pride?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"When the game goes out of your favor, you get scared and run."

Skylar stammered and replied with, "Yeah, well, so what? Forfeiting is always better than facing defeat. Everyone loves a winner. I can't let people see me as a loser."

Emily tightened her eyes. "Tell me, Skylar. Do you have any friends at all?"

Nervously, she answers, "Yeah, I've got hundreds of friends."

"Fans don't count, Skylar," Max reminded.

Hearing that made Emily assume that Skylar didn't have any friends after all, but Skylar answered in honesty that she had three friends and that was everyone in the band. "Three, huh," Emily said, not sounding impressed. "Are you sure? Because that's three friends more than I would have guessed you had."

"Hey, just watch your mouth," snapped Skylar. "I don't have to put up with this!"

"I can't stand people who don't face their problems," Emily scolded. "Everyone fails sometimes, but the important thing is having the courage to look trouble straight in the eye. So if you want to be a winner, be someone who never gives up."

"Quitters never win," Max was saying, "but winners never quit."

Listening to everyone's words, Skylar looks down. "You guys have a point. I guess I was wrong." She turns around and heads for the exit, but stops for a minute. "Hey, Emily," then she turned around and smiled like a friend. "Thanks for being honest with me."

Max walked up to Emily. "You don't know what she's been through in the past," she told her. But she smiled in gratitude. "But she needed her lesson. Thanks and congratulations on your performance. You did well and I think you've got what it takes to be a great singer. Still," then Max winked. "Don't think that means you'll be as good as I am." Then she left to join Skylar.

"I'll keep that in mind," Emily said as she watched Max exit the arena. She chuckled and stuck her tongue out a little. "If Skylar learned her lesson, then maybe she'll face her fears instead of run from them."

Yami rejoined her. "And that's exactly what I must do." Emily knew what he meant when he said that. It was time to take the next step.

* * *

 **Like Max, Skylar Hope is a character that belongs to my younger sister, who helped me to write this chapter. Thanks, sis.**


	6. A Surprising Discovery

A surprising Discovery

It was already dark outside by the time Yami and Emily left the game shop. The Domino museum was still open, but they had to get there fast because it would soon be closing time. When they got there, they saw that it would still be open until the next hour.

"I think you were right, Emily," Yami was saying. "This exhibit may help us find some answers. Thank you for bringing me here."

"What are friends for?"

"I don't know what's beyond those doors, but I'm ready to face it."

" _We're_ ready to face it." And together, they walked up the stairs and entered the museum. Emily walked up to the counter to pay the entrance fee for the exhibit. The museum was large and had a lot of different galleries, but they knew where the exhibit was.

 _This museum's got to have some clues that can help the spirit figure out his past_ , Emily thought. "I'm glad you decided to go through with this."

"I have no choice, Emily. It's my destiny." They continued to walk down the hall, but Yami stopped and turned his attention to the stairwell leading to the basement. There was a sign that read: _Restricted Area: Authorized Personnel Only._ The door was unlocked, which was mysterious. But Yami felt like something down there was calling to him.

Emily turned around. "Why'd you stop?"

"I sense something," Yami answered and opened the door.

"In the basement?" Emily asked. Yami began walking down the stairs. Emily left the door ajar a little so they wouldn't get locked in. She looked around and asked, "Is this part of the exhibit?" Then she realized that it wouldn't be if it was in a restricted area. But then why were the doors unlocked and slightly ajar?

When they came before a large stone tablet, Emily reacted in shock to what she was seeing. "The man in the tablet looks just like you! Is this for real? It's scaring me!"

"Yes, Emily, and look," Yami was saying. "He has the Millennium Puzzle around his neck. That appears to be me playing some sort of ancient game. This is the clue I've been searching for, but I wish I were able to decipher its meaning. Who am I dueling against? What was this ancient game? Was it even a game?" He closed his eyes and sighed. "Just when I think I've found one answer, a thousand new questions arise."

They heard a voice. "My pharaoh, I've been expecting you." Yami and Emily turned and saw a woman approaching them.

"Who are you?" Yami asked.

"I am Ishizu," she answered, "and I have uncovered many mysteries about you and these ancient carvings using the power of my Millennium Necklace."

Yami gazed at the golden chain around her neck. "Another Millennium Item!"

"Like your Millennium Puzzle, this Necklace affords me certain powers. With it, I have gazed five thousand years into the past to a time when sorcerers and monsters threatened to destroy the entire world. However, there was one king brave enough to save the world from this evil threat: you, Yami."

"I was this king?"

Ishizu nods and turns to Emily. "And you, my dear, were his princess."

Emily's eyes widened. "Princess?"

Ishizu turns her attention to another tablet on the wall. Yami and Emily follow her gaze. The tablet was small and looked like what they considered to be a family portrait. There was a woman holding a bundle in one arm and using her other hand to hold the pharaoh's. "The pharaoh and his wife were blessed with a daughter. The child inherited an extraordinary power from her mother: the Millennium Star. But many evil sorcerers wanted the Millennium Star and tried to steal it. To save their only child, the pharaoh and queen sent her away. In hopes of one day finding her, the queen shattered the Millennium Star and gave a shard to her daughter."

Ishizu holds out her hand and reveals what appears to be half of the Millennium Star. "The time has now come for you to awaken and claim your destiny."

Emily felt a pain in her side. She put her hand to it and saw a faint glow. It started to illuminate brighter and the Millennium Star's other half emerged. _No… no way!_ Emily thought. _But how did that get inside of me?_ As the two shards came together and reconnected, the entire room was illuminated. As it died down a little, Yami saw Emily transforming. Her clothes changed into a dress, she had gold bands on her wrists and close to her shoulders, white shoes, and a light blue robe wrapped around her arms. Emily noticed the transformations as well, but to her surprise, was taking it naturally. Even when she noticed white wings had grown out of her back. Finally, the Millennium Star slowly went inside Emily's chest, straight for her heart. After that, she found herself back in her original attire and her wings were gone.

"You will come to understand the powers of the Millennium Star in time," Ishizu was telling her. "But you must protect it with your life. The time has also come for the two of you to rescue mankind."

"Rescue mankind?" Emily echoed. "Are you saying that the world is in danger of being threatened again?"

"Yes, the events of the past will occur once again and the same great evil will return to threaten us."

"How will we recognize this evil?" Yami asked.

"I understand that your memory had faded, my pharaoh, and that you seek many answers. I also know that a new Duel Monsters tournament is beginning. If you win it, you will find your answers." Ishuzu turns around, but before she takes her leave, she says, "When you return home, you'll discover a personal invitation waiting for you. Farewell, King Yami. Farewell, Princess Emily."

"Y-Yami?" Emily asked. "So that's your name. Wow, and you were this powerful pharaoh who saved the world five thousand years ago. And I'm… I'm a princess." It was going to take a while for her to get used to the concept.

Yami was just as baffled. Not completely ignoring her, he refocused his gaze on the other tablet. "But then who was responsible for trying to destroy the world?" As he saw his opponent in the tablet, his eyes widened. "My opponent looks like Kaiba!"

"You're right," she told him. "Then that means Kaiba was the ancient evil sorcerer!"

 _Could it be that I'm supposed to face Kaiba in order to save the world from danger again,_ Yugi wondered. _Well, there's only one way to find out: I've got to enter the tournament and win!_


	7. Preparing for the Tournament

Preparing for the Tournament

After meeting Ishizu in the Domino museum, Kaiba spent the past few days organizing the tournament he was planning. He even decided to add a few new rules to the game. It was now time for one last test. Kaiba had designed a new model of the duel disk and wanted to try it out before selling it. The model was still worn on the left wrist, but it no longer had to be thrown across the field to produce a hologram. It was like having a playing field on the arm. There were also portable projectors designed to position themselves on the field. There was no longer any need for oversized dueling arenas.

The dueling test was underway. A robot designed with the tactics and strategies of a duelist was the opponent Kaiba wanted for the last test. He even wanted his three Blue-Eyes White Dragons to be in the robot's deck. This would be dangerous. Kaiba had even shut down the safeguards, putting him at risk of injury. It was a risk he was willing to take. He wanted to see his Egyptian God card in action. Ishizu warned Kaiba that Obelisk would be too powerful to control, but he wouldn't know for sure until he played the card in a duel. And what better monster to use it against than the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon?

The robot made the first move. "Draw card. Accessing duel database for optimal battle. Set one monster face down."

It was Kaiba's turn. "I'll also play a card face down. Next, I'll summon the mighty Battle Ox. Destroy his monster!" The Battle Ox's attack revealed the robot's hidden monster. It was Cyber Jar.

"Monster: Cyber Jar. Special effect 1: Destroys all monsters on the field. Special effect 2: Both players summon up to five monsters. Summoning two monsters to the field." The robot played the cards face down in defense mode. Kaiba summoned four monsters to the field. There was Dark Zebra, Maha Vailo, Boar Soldier, and Hitotsu-Me Giant.

"What a digital dummy," Mokuba said, watching the match. "The duel robot gave Seto a huge lead."

It seemed that way, but the robot was designed to mimic the strategies of the best duelists in the world. "Analyzing new tournament rules. Must sacrifice two monsters to summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon to the field."

"What?" Kaiba gasped. The robot's Wall of Illusion and Aqua Madoor were sent to the graveyard as Blue-Eyes White Dragon appeared on the field. "Now I'm in trouble."

"Turn off the machine before he gets hurt!" Mokuba cried.

Kaiba expected the robot to attack, but it remembered that Kaiba still had a card face down and thought it was a trap set to destroy the Dragon. With nothing to protect the Dragon, the robot ended its turn. "A big mistake," Kaiba said. "I sacrifice a monster to summon Dragon Seeker in defense mode."

The robot analyzed Dragon Seeker and learned it had the ability to instantly destroy any Dragon on the field once it switched into attack mode. "Processing countermeasures. Set one card face down onto field. Summon Lord of Dragons to the field. Lord of Dragons' special effect: Protects all Dragons from magic, trap, and monster cards. Dragon Seeker's effect negated."

Kaiba certainly didn't expect that. He could no longer attack or destroy the Blue-Eyes White Dragon as long as Lord of Dragons was on the field. He didn't want to risk attacking Lord of Dragons either, so he switched all of his monsters to defense mode to protect his life points.

"Processing battle strategy. Activate magic card: Flute of Summoning Dragon. Magic effect: Summons up to two Dragons from hand onto field. Processing. Summon two Blue-Eyes White Dragons from hand."

"There's no way!" Kaiba gasped.

The robot wasn't finished. "Activate magic card: Polymerization. Fuse three Blue-Eyes White Dragons to form Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Analyzing tournament rules: Fusion monster cannot attack on the same turn it was created. Must end turn."

As Kaiba stared at the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon standing before him, he wondered if this was how Yugi felt when he was up against it. He remembered that Yugi came close to defeating the Ultimate Dragon, but couldn't do it. Now it was Kaiba's turn. This was the moment he was waiting for. He drew his card and it was the Egyptian God card. By sacrificing three of his monsters, Obelisk the Tormentor came into play. To strengthen his Egyptian God, Kaiba sacrificed his two remaining monsters. Obelisk's attack power had climbed to infinity. And because he was so powerful, opposing cards were useless against him. Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon was vulnerable to attack. With his mighty Fist of Fate, Obelisk crushed the Ultimate Dragon.

The robot malfunctioned from the overload of power and self-destructed. Mokuba watched in awe as he witnessed the power of his brother's new monster. Kaiba looked at the card in his hand. He was confident that with an Egyptian God in his deck, he would be unstoppable. All he had to do now was obtain the other two and he would have the most invincible deck.

Emily and Yami went to the square and saw a lot of people present. No denying they had all received an invitation requesting their presence. "The invitations of the tournament would be announced tonight," Emily said. "Ishizu was right."

"I don't know if everything she said is true, but I do know this: I must enter and win in order to face my destiny."

Emily looked away. "Just promise me you'll be careful, Yami. Because if the events of the past are to happen again, then this could be dangerous for you and Yugi." But she had to be careful as well. Now that the Millennium Star is whole again and its powers are slowly restoring, whoever it was that tried to steal the Millennium Puzzle was also going to try to claim the Millennium Star as well.

Yami brought out his dueling deck. "You must trust me, Emily. My deck has never let me down. And as long as Yugi and I stay connected and believe in the Heart of the Cards, we can overcome any opponent and face our destiny."

As worried as Emily was, she trusted Yami. "And you can count on my help." Then she and Yami both heard faint cackling. They looked around, but didn't see anybody who looked suspicious.

Then they heard the voice of a familiar friend. "Yugi, Emily, there you are!"

"It's Mai Valentine," Yami said, seeing her running towards them. Max was joining her.

Emily wasn't too thrilled. "Oh, joy."

"I know you guys missed me!" Mai said cheerfully.

"It's such a shame we don't see each other very often," Emily told her.

"Yes, it is," Mai said, placing her arm over Emily to hug her. "You're looking gorgeous, Emily. Is this a date?"

"We're friends, Mai."

Yami tightened his eyes. "I assume the both of you have come here for the tournament?"

"But of course," Mai said, finally letting Emily go. "I presume you got an invitation as well?"

"Yes, but it didn't say who it was from. Do you or Max know?"

Mai shakes her head. "We have no idea. Everyone we spoke to got an anonymous invitation."

Max cleared her throat. "But there is a buzz going around that it's a kid with a ton of cash and an obnoxious attitude. My money's on Kaiba."

Yami's eyes widened. "That must be why Ishizu told me to enter," he was muttering to himself. "If the events of the past are to happen again, then I must face Kaiba."

"What are you mumbling about?" Mai asked. "Anyway, no one knows for sure who's hosting this new tournament."

"I suppose we'll find out eventually," said Emily.

"It's safe to say it's not Pegasus again," Max said gratefully.

"Speaking of Pegasus," Yami was saying, "This is beginning to look like Duelist Kingdom all over again." The girls agreed as they took notice of some familiar faces in the crowd. Max and Emily were disgusted as they saw Weevil Underwood and Rex Raptor eyeing them in a romantic way. Mai saw a new young duelist named Esper Roba and said he dueled using psychic abilities. They even saw Mako Tsunami eating grilled fish. There were a lot of new and old faces in the crowd, but everyone knew that this tournament was going to have some new twists.

As if on cue, Kaiba's face began showing up on all of the television screens. "Greetings, duelists. Welcome to the town Domino. But more importantly, welcome to my tournament."

"I don't know which is bigger," Mai was saying, "his ego or his melon on the big screen." Max and Emily agreed it was his ego.

"I see you've all received your personal invitations, which means you had enough brains to show up here tonight. You are all elite duelists. You'll also be playing by some new rules. For example: you must duel using my latest duel disk model."

"Check that out!" someone in the square said.

"Man, KaibaCorp's got the latest products!"

"Also, before each duel, both duelists must anti up their rarest card and the loser of the duel must forfeit their card to the winner. My competition will make Pegasus and his Duelist Kingdom tournament look like a joke." Then the wind blew across the square and Kaiba's helicopter lowered itself a little. He stepped outside, but remained close to the door. _I knew you'd come, Yugi. We'll see which one of us is the number one duelist._ He raises his voice and makes one last announcement. "Don't forget to register and pick up your duel disks because exactly one week from today, my tournament begins!"

"You're on, Kaiba," Yami said.


	8. Under Control

Under Control

As the days passed, Emily spent most of her time trying to understand the Millennium Star and all of its powers. She had wings, but didn't know how to use them. Before she thought about flying, she folded them and spread them a few times to get used to them. What she really wondered was if there was an ancient spirit living within the Star because she could hear a faint voice. Although Emily had never heard it before, the voice sounded familiar to her. She tried to find whoever it was the voice belonged to, but in vain. But the voice continued to speak to Emily, guiding her.

What Emily had also discovered was that she could perform magic. She wanted to find out what kinds of spells she could cast, but knew it was too dangerous for her to use her powers in public. She actually had a few accidents in school which caused her powers to go out of control. One time, one of the boys at school was tormenting Emily. She tried to control herself, but lost it when he placed his hand on her rear end. Appalled, she turned around and grabbed his wrist, but when she did, her hand caught on fire and scorched the boy. The burn wasn't severe, so he didn't need to go to the hospital.

Frightened, Emily ran to the girl's restroom to try to calm down and pull herself together. She didn't know what happened except that it was an accident. One of the girls came out of the stalls and asked her if she was all right. That took Emily by surprise and she accidently performed another spell of a different element. Water surrounded her hands and she ended up soaking her classmate.

Max was the only one who knew what was going on with Emily. Especially when one of the bullies tried to pick a fight with Emily for getting mud all over his uniform. That was also an accident. The bully tried to land blows on Emily, but as she protected herself, her arms turned to stone. When she caught one of his attacks, she lunged her hand towards him and a force of wind pushed him away. It came to no surprise that a lot of students were freaked out and called Emily a freak. Her friends were scared, but at the same time, amazed.

That day after school, Max brought Emily into her home. She lived in a luxurious estate and had a lot of space to do whatever she wished. Max revealed to Emily that she was just like her when she got her Cobalt Star shard from Bakura's father. She didn't understand her powers, but the spirit within helped her to learn and control them. Now it was Emily's turn to be educated. Max couldn't teach her the magic she knew, but she could help Emily learn to use her magic. Max couldn't control the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard, but she could use its powers of her own will. And this was one time when the evil spirit would not attack. But it was an act of choice. She had to keep herself at bay to keep everyone convinced that Max was no longer possessed by an evil spirit. Besides, even without the Cobalt Star shard, Max could still use its powers.

Emily's training was hard over the week, but Max told her to keep practicing on her own. There wasn't a lot for her to teach anyway. Emily just hoped she would be able to use her powers when she needed to. But confidence wasn't a luxury she could afford right now. She had to stay on her guard.

The next day, Yugi and his friends met up on the school roof. "You can't be serious," said Joey. "You mean to tell me that rich punk Kaiba is throwing his own tournament?"

Yugi nods. "And the whole thing kicks off in less than a week."

Joey growls. "I can't believe Moneybags didn't send me an invitation. I was the runner-up in Duelist Kingdom! Where's the respect?"

"Here's a news flash for you, Joey: Kaiba doesn't like you," Max told him.

Joey continued to growl. "I'll give him something not to like."

"You know, this is exactly how he wants you to react."

Joey finally calmed down. "You got a good point, Max. Maybe I don't need to enter Kaiba's snooty competition. What about you, Yuge? Are you going to enter?"

"I have to. It's my destiny." To explain what he means, he tells him, "Some ancient evil force has come back to threaten the world and it's my destiny to join the tournament to stop it."

"Then it's my destiny to help you," Joey told him and began acting bold.

"So basically you've changed your mind again and you are going to enter?" Max asked.

"Yup, Yugi inspired me. And I've got just the card to help me. I'm talking about Red-Eyes Black Dragon, folks." Then Joey plants a kiss on the card and starts sweet talking. It was kind of embarrassing.

Tea speaks up and asks, "Didn't you learn your lesson the last time you dueled Kaiba?"

Emily agreed. "Your Red-Eyes is a powerful card, but it doesn't guarantee you victory over Kaiba."

"You'll need to have a little patience," Yugi added. "You'll also need to get used to his new and advanced version of the duel disk."

The prototype was already too much for Joey to handle. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle the new version. Thinking about what happened last time made him remember how Kaiba mistreated him. But Joey was a much better duelist now than he was then. Finally, he decided he would join Yugi in the tournament and help him face his destiny.

After school, the gang went downtown to register for the tournament. On the way, Emily remembered to thank Tea for recommending going to the exhibit. It was still hard for any of them to believe that Yami was a pharaoh and Emily was his daughter. But what was really scary was the thought of ancient evil forces returning to threaten the world.

"Hey, girls," Yugi was saying, "You know how in the tournament, the winner gets the loser's rarest card? On one hand, it's an awesome idea, because the winner gets the prize of rare and powerful cards. But I put my heart in my deck and I don't want to lose any of my monsters to another duelist; especially my Dark Magician. But the world depends on Yami and me, so I'll play by whatever rules I have to."

The group finally found the registration office. "May I be of some assistance?" asked the clerk.

"Hi, we came to register for the tournament," said Yugi.

"Well then, my friends, you're in the correct place. You're fortunate since I have three duel disks left on my shelf. But first, I have to make sure you're qualified to register."

"Okay, I'm Yugi Muto."

The clerk typed Yugi's name in the computer. "Not bad. You've got five stars. That's the highest rank."

"Where does this information come from?"

"KaibaCorp has a database containing information on duelists all over the world. To determine your quality, Mr. Kaiba has gone through great lengths to learn everything about you and your deck." The clerk showed everyone the screen. It contained Yugi's picture, his rank as a duelist, and his Dark Magician; the most powerful card he ever used in a duel.

"Knowing everything about everyone's cards gives Kaiba an unfair advantage," Emily protested.

As promised, the clerk presented Yugi with a duel disk. Max tried to register, but had a hard time. It was actually hard for Max to do these kinds of things because she didn't have a last name and was often rejected. But Kaiba knew who Max was and let it slide for her. The clerk finally found her catalog. She was a four star ranked duelist and her rarest card was the Angel of Death.

It was Joey's turn to register, but the clerk told him he couldn't qualify because his rank was one star. Clearly, it was a stunt Kaiba pulled because he didn't deem Joey worthy. While everyone tried calming Joey down, the clerk noticed that Joey's rarest card was the Red-Eyes Black Dragon and assumed his superior would want it in his possession. He knew what to do to register Joey for the tournament.

"I'm sorry, Joey, it appears my hard drive was malfunctioning and you actually have four stars. Congratulations, you qualify." Hearing that, Joey's anger turned into excitement. He knew all along he was worthy of qualifying for the tournament. Everyone was happy and left the shop. When they did, the clerk picked up his cell phone. "Send over the Rare Hunters. The boy with the Red-Eyes and the girl with the Angel of Death just left."


	9. Attacked by the Rare Hunters

Attacked by the Rare Hunters

"Guys, I gotta get going," said Joey. "My sister's waiting for me at the hospital and I promised I'd be there for her operation tomorrow."

"Okay," said Emily. "Be careful on your way and tell Serenity we're all praying for her."

"Thanks, guys," Joey said and headed for the hospital. Max decided to go with him.

"I hope Joey's okay," Tristan said. "Going to the hospital's not going to be easy for him. His mother's going to be there. She's the one who separated Joey and Serenity when they were kids and Joey hasn't seen her ever since."

"So Joey hasn't seen or spoken to his mother in almost seven years," said Yugi.

"Yes, but I'll make sure the Wheeler family is reunited once again."

Emily laughed. "Aren't you getting a little carried away there, Tristan?"

"Not if he's trying to be a hero to impress Joey's sister." Tristan blushed hearing Yugi say that.

At the hospital, Serenity tried to sleep, but kept turning over and groaning in her bed. "Serenity, what's the matter, dear?" her mother asked.

The auburn girl sat up and said in honesty, "I guess I'm terrified about getting this eye operation, Mom. But I'll feel better once Joey arrives. He should be on his way."

Mrs. Wheeler's eyes widened. "Joseph's coming?"

Joey was on his way, but was cornered by a gang of thugs disguised in hooded cloaks. "Out of my way, I'm in a hurry."

The ringleader chuckled. "You won't be going anywhere for a while."

"What do you freaks want with me?"

The leader laughed again. "You're a feisty one, aren't you, Joey? I see you've never met a Rare Hunter. We stalk our prey and take what we desire. In this case, your Red-Eyes Black Dragon."

Joey didn't know who these guys were or how they knew about his Red-Eyes or why they wanted it. But it was clear to him that they wouldn't let him leave without a fight. So he agreed to duel their leader. He took his duel disk out of its box and strapped it to his wrist. "Let's get this over with! I got somewhere I gotta be!"

The hospital had a curfew and it was now time for all patients to turn out their lights and go to sleep. Serenity sat up in her bed. _Where is Joey?_ she wondered. _He said he'd be here. He's always been there for me before. I hope he's all right._ Worried that something might have happened to him, she starts crying.

The Rare Hunter wanted to have the matched played by the Battle City rules. Joey accepted his terms. He knew that the faster he played, the sooner the match would be over with and he could hurry to the hospital. He decided to take the first turn and summon Panther Warrior in attack mode. The armored feline had 2000 attack points. The Rare Hunter drew his card and played his monster in defense mode.

It was Joey's turn. He played a magic card called Scapegoat. Four lamb tokens appeared on the field as monsters. In order for Panther Warrior to attack, Joey had to sacrifice a monster. So he sacrificed one of his tokens and his Panther destroyed the Rare Hunter's monster. The Rare Hunter played Graceful Charity to draw three new cards and discard two. After that, he played another monster in defense mode.

Joey summoned another monster to the field in attack mode. It was a reptilian warrior named Alligator's Sword and had 1500 attack points. Joey sacrificed another token and attacked the Rare Hunter's monster with Panther Warrior. "So you wanna play by Battle City rules, huh? Well, since you have no monsters left on the field, I can attack you directly with my second monster." And Alligator's Sword reduced the Rare Hunter's life points by 1500, leaving him with 2500 life points remaining. "Give up yet?"

"No, not quite," the Rare Hunter said, drawing his card. "I play Graceful Charity again."

"Again?"

"Yes, a good hunter must acquire stronger hands to replace the weaker ones." But he made the same move once again and played a monster in defense mode.

"Boring," Joey said slowly. "Gimme a break, I'm fallin' asleep! How many times are you gonna keep makin' the same move?" Joey decided to end the duel right away by summoning his Red-Eyes Black Dragon. But he remembered that the rules said he had to sacrifice his monsters in order to summon it. So he sent Panther Warrior and Alligator's Sword to the graveyard and played his Dragon. Its Inferno Fire Blast destroyed the Rare Hunter's last defense.

"I think this was my easiest duel ever," Joey laughed. "While you were busy picking cards and playing defense, I was blasting you away!"

The Rare Hunter chuckled. "Foolish boy, I've been luring you into my trap."

Joey didn't believe him. "I think you've got your cape on too tight. I've been creamin' ya!"

"Wrong, I'm about to finish you off!" The stage was set and the Rare Hunter had all the cards he needed in his hand. He placed all five pieces of Exodia on his duel disk and summoned the Forbidden One. The duel was over.

"Exodia's the rarest monster I know," Joey said, recovering from the blast. "How'd you get it in your deck?"

The Rare Hunter took his deck. "It is true that the individual pieces of Exodia the Forbidden One are extremely rare cards. But Rare Hunters thrive on relieving duelists of their rarest cards. That's how I managed to assemble three complete sets of Exodia in one single deck."

"You won them all!?"

"Let's just say we acquire them by whatever means necessary." The Rare Hunters surrounded Joey. "Now we'll do the same for your Red-Eyes Black Dragon."

Joey groans as he gets on his knees. "Hey, I'll get it."

"We prefer to take it from you by force," the Rare Hunter insisted.

"I said, 'I'll get it!'" But the Rare Hunters beat Joey to the ground and knocked him out cold. They lifted his arm and took his Red-Eyes Black Dragon from his deck. When the Rare Hunters left, Max found Joey unconscious and tried to help him.


	10. Wheelers Unite

Wheelers Unite

It was time for Serenity's operation, but she locked herself in her room. She said she wouldn't go through with it until her brother finally came for her. On the other side, Max tried telling Serenity what happened to Joey, but the auburn girl wouldn't listen. Mrs. Wheeler gave Yugi a call and told him that Joey never made it to the hospital last night. Yugi promised Mrs. Wheeler that he and his friends would find Joey.

Yugi and the girls met up at the pier. Tristan parked his motorcycle and took off his helmet. "I checked all of his usual spots, but couldn't find him."

"It isn't like Joey to stand his sister up," Emily said. "Something must have happened to him after he left us and went on his way to the hospital."

Everyone agreed and decided to check every square inch in the city. They had to hurry, though. Time was running out. Tristan rode his motorcycle all the way through downtown. Tea looked inside all the empty warehouses. Emily checked every café and shop. Yugi decided to check out Joey's neighborhood. Finally, Tristan found Joey and rushed to get him to the hospital.

Serenity's doctor was about to give up and tend to his other patients, but Max told him he could wait a little longer. Joey arrived and agreed. Now that he was here, he could help his sister. "Serenity, it's me." The auburn girl lifted her head as she heard her brother's voice. "I know you're upset, Sis, but you've got to open this door so we can talk."

But Serenity still wouldn't unlock her door. "You said you'd be here last night and I was so worried about you!" She places her eyes over her hands and starts crying. "I really need you to help me through this!"

"I'm sorry," Joey said with guilt. "I know I let you down. But please listen, I was on my way to see you like I promised, but these creeps ganged up on me and forced me to duel. All I could think about was coming to see you, but they wouldn't let me go. Then they beat me and took the best card in my deck." Joey leans his head against the door and tears fill his eyes as he scolds himself. "And then I let down the one person important to me on the day that she needed me the most. I can't do anything right. I must be the worst big brother in the history of the world. But you've gotta believe me, Serenity. I'd never do anything to hurt you."

Serenity removed her hands from her face. "You're more than just my little sister, Serenity," continued Joey, "you're my friend and nothing can come between us. Now open this door and give your big brother a hug." And Serenity got out of bed and unlocked the door. As she opened it, she looked at her brother with wet red eyes filled with tears. "That's better."

"Joey," Serenity sobbed and wrapped her arms around him. She continued to cry as she turned to her mother. Mrs. Wheeler held her to soothe her.

Joey turned to their mother. All he could say to her after all these years was, "It's nice to see ya, Ma."

"It's nice to see you," she repeated. "Thanks, Son."

Joey spent the next few hours in the hospital as his sister's operation was underway. That afternoon, he called Yugi and told them the operation was a success and Serenity was recovering. Yugi asked Joey what happened and who attacked him last night. Joey answered that they were Rare Hunters and he vowed to get back his stolen card. Until then, he'd have to wait and find him. When Joey got off the phone, Max joined him. She was on her break, but her shift wouldn't be over until sundown. What confused Joey was why the Rare Hunters didn't attack her and how she escaped. All she could tell him was she had her ways. She actually tried to get Joey to the hospital after she found him, but he begged Max to go without him and take care of his sister.


	11. Battle City Begins

Battle City Begins

Today was the day the tournament would start. Solomon swept the doorstep of the game shop. "It's a sad day when an old man has to do his grandson's chores," he said and yawned. "'Sorry, Grandpa, but I have to prepare for the tournament,' he says. I'd like a good duel as much as the next customer." Then his sadness turned into excitement. "Kaiba's tournament starts today and I wouldn't miss it for the world! Ho, ho! I'll close up the shop a little early," then he went inside and got the closed sign. "Like right now!"

Upstairs in his room, Yugi and Yami finished reconstructing their deck for the tournament. "You've assembled a powerful deck, Yugi," Yami told him.

"What if it's not good enough?"

"There comes a time when there's nothing left to do but believe in the deck you've created."

"I guess you're right," Yugi said. "This tournament won't be easy, but we'll be in this together. And we'll have the strength of all of our friends. It's our destiny to win this. You stood by me and helped me to rescue my grandfather from Pegasus, now it's my turn to stand by you. You already saved the entire world five thousand years ago, but you had to do it alone. This time you have my help."

"Right," said Yami. Now they were ready to get out there and face their destiny.

Joey spent the morning trying to think of a way to find the Rare Hunter and get back his Red-Eyes Black Dragon. But he had a hard time thinking because he didn't know where or if he'd be able to find him. So hard, he got a headache and lied on the floor. _Man, why'd Serenity have to get all the brains in the family? I mean, sure, I got the good looks, but_ \- "Serenity! I almost let the duel distract me from checking up on my little sister!" Joey reached for the phone and dialed the number to Serenity's room.

Tristan's voice was heard. "Hello, Serenity Wheeler's room."

"Whaaa!?" Joey yelped. "Tristan, is that you?"

"Joey, what a coincidence, Serenity and I were just talking about you."

"You were? Hey, what do you think you're doing in my sister's room?" Joey demanded, hoping Tristan wasn't hitting on Serenity.

"Well, I know how busy you are preparing for the tournament, so I thought I'd keep Serenity company," Tristan answered.

"You're the last person she needs, Romeo!" Joey yelled over the phone.

Tristan handed the phone over to the bandaged auburn. Hey eyes had not yet fully recovered from her surgery. "Hey, Joey. Why didn't you tell me Tristan taught you everything you know about Duel Monsters or how you finished second in Duelist Kingdom thanks to his training or that you would have never won the money to pay for my surgery thanks to Tristan?"

Joey kept silent as he was hearing her questions. He couldn't believe what Tristan was telling his sister. Tristan took the phone back. "Best of luck in Battle City. And don't forget about that super three card combo I taught you. Bye." Then he hung up.

"Tristan," Joey snarled, though he knew his friend had hung up. "I'll kick your lying butt!"

Emily and Yugi met up at the clock tower in the square. They figured it would be a good place to meet. They also decided to wait for Joey. Kaiba would be announcing the start of the tournament soon, so they waited. While they did, Mai and Max showed up. "What a turnout, right?" Mai asked. "All losers."

"Well, there are some people I've never seen before," Emily said.

Mai paid no attention. "Oh, this is so exciting! I wonder who I should take on first."

"Yugi, I thought I'd see you buzzing around," said Weevil's voice. Everyone turned and saw him and Rex coming towards them.

"I'll never forget how you played me like a chump-a-saurus at Duelist Kingdom, Mai," Rex growled. "Now, it's payback time. I still like you, Max, but don't think you're off the hook either."

Weevil chuckled. "And don't think I forgot about you, Emily," he said, moving closer to her. "I intend to win this tournament and make you my crowning jewel. My deck is swarmed with rare and powerful insects that will defeat Yugi!" He started to chuckle again, but stopped as he felt Mako grab him from behind.

"Those are big words coming from such a small guppy."

"Hi, Mako," Emily said.

He heard her, but didn't return the greeting. He began to boast about his deck and winning it all. "My mighty denizens of the deep will overwhelm every one of your monsters."

Rex scoffed. "Your sardines will be crushed by my Dino horde." Last year in the regional tournament, Rex dueled Mako before he went on to duel Weevil.

But Mako's deck had changed. "Don't be too sure. My new Fortress Whale is mightier than your Two-Headed King Rex."

Weevil snickered. "Well, I have a monster in my deck that's superior to my Great Moth, but don't think I'll tell you what it is."

Mako lifted Weevil by the collar and began shaking him. "Well then, maybe I ought to shake it out of you, Weevil."

Yugi and the girls watched and sighed. "Some duelists never change," Mai groaned. It was natural of them to feud like this since their competition in the regionals.

Emily crossed her arms. "If I'm not mistaken, Weevil, you were the first one sent paddling home from Duelist Kingdom."

"Yeah," said Max. "I hope you remembered to bring your oars this time."

But Weevil, Rex, and Mako didn't pay any attention. "We'll settle this feud when the tournament begins," said Rex. Weevil and Mako agreed. As they parted ways, Weevil and Rex winked and blew kisses at Max and Emily, which made the girls look sick.

Mai and Max decided to head out too. "Yugi, don't forget, next time we meet, we're rivals."

Yugi and Emily continued to wait in the square for a little while before they decided to head to the roof of one of the nearby buildings. Perhaps they could get a better lookout for Joey. When they got to the top, Kaiba's blimp showed up in the sky and his face showed up on screen. "Greetings, duelists, and welcome to Battle City. It's time to put your dueling skills to the test. I hope none of you entered looking for friendly competition. Battle City's going to be an all-out war. In case you want to back out now, I'll let you know what you're in for. Anyone I decided was good enough to enter has been given their own duel disks. They keep a tracking chip that allows me to closely observe every one of your duels. You can duel with them anytime, anywhere.

"Now then, before every duel, both duelists must anti up their rarest card and the loser must forfeit their card to the winner. If you don't have the guts to risk losing your card, you should back out now. And anyone who's foolish enough can challenge me because I'll also be competing."

"Thought so," Emily said.

"And there's one duelist out there who I can't wait to meet."

"You're on, Kaiba," Yugi said.

"The first eight duelists who make it to the final round will be dueling in a hidden location. To find this location, you will need six locator cards. You've all received one with your duel disks. You must wager these locator cards for when you duel. But the finals are a long way and most of you will be eliminated by then. All right, everything I said and more can be found in my tournament rulebook. Remember that only one of you will be crowned the number one duelist," Kaiba finished.

"And that'll be me," Mai and Max said unison.

"All right, duelists. Let the tournament begin!"


	12. Yugi vs Rare Hunter

Yugi vs. Rare Hunter

Yugi was about to leave the building until Emily looked down and saw Joey coming their way. They went down the stairs and saw Joey talking to a man in a dark cloak. He recognized him by his voice that he was the Rare Hunter who stole his Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Joey kept challenging him to a rematch, but the Rare Hunter had no interest in dueling him again. But when he saw Yugi, he figured maybe he'd like to duel him instead.

The Millennium Puzzle glowed and Yami took over. "Do we have a deal, Rare Hunter? If I win, you must return Joey's Red-Eyes Black Dragon. But if I lose, you'll take my Dark Magician."

"Very well," said the Rare Hunter.

Joey was against the idea. "No, Yugi."

The Rare Hunter laughed. "Don't even think about revealing my strategy, Joey." He removes his cloak and warns him, "If you tell your friend how I beat you, I'll tear your Red-Eyes Black Dragon to shreds. So I'd give my mouth a rest if I were you and allow me to duel my opponent without any commentary. "

Joey still tried telling Yami not to go through with it, but he held up his hand to stop him. "Thank you, Joey, but this is my fight now. I'll have to risk my Dark Magician eventually."

Emily took Joey's hand. "He's doing this for you, Joey. Let him duel."

Joey placed his arm over Emily. "Okay. Go for it, Yugi."

The field was set up as Yami and the Rare Hunter went to the middle of the square. They held out their left arms and the hologram projectors launched out of the duel disks and positioned themselves several inches away. Yami made the first move by summoning Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode. The machine had 1400 attack points. To end his turn, Yami played two cards face down. The Rare Hunter made his turn by playing Graceful Charity to draw three cards and playing a monster in defense mode. That activated Yami's trap Light of Intervention, revealing all of his hidden monsters. It didn't matter to the Rare Hunter that he would have no more surprises on the field. He had plenty in his deck. The monster he had on the field was Stone Statue of the Aztecs. It had a powerful defense of 2400.

Yami sacrificed his Magnet Warrior to summon a powerful beast called Berfomet. It had the ability to bring forth Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts. Next, Yami used Polymerization to merge them into Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast. He remembered that fusion monsters had to wait one turn before attacking, but Chimera was strong enough to reduce the Stone Statue to rubble. To end his turn, Yami played another card face down.

The Rare Hunter drew Graceful Charity from his deck and drew three more cards and discarded two. He looked down at his hand and saw that he had four pieces of Exodia. To protect his life points, he played Gear Golem the Moving Fortress in defense mode. Joey watched and remembered this move. He was about to tell Yami to watch out, but the Rare Hunter stopped him and warned him that he would tear his Red-Eyes Black Dragon next time he spoke up.

The duel was being traced back to the company by Kaiba's satellite, allowing him to watch the duel and all the other duels. By keeping track of everyone's progress, he would know if any of the duelists had an Egyptian God card. "Yugi's opponent is dueling well. But who is he? What info do we have on him?"

"Very little," answered one of Kaiba's tech experts. "He wasn't listed in your tournament database until about a week ago."

"What? How is that possible?"

"He must have hacked into the system and added himself."

"That's illegal," Mokuba cried. "We'll disqualify him."

Kaiba stopped his brother. When he heard his tech expert mention that this duelist was a Rare Hunter, it meant that the underground duelists took his bait. Kaiba's satellite also detected a chemical in his cards, meaning that they were marked. Kaiba was aware of the Rare Hunter's misdeeds, but he was willing to let it slide. He wanted Yugi to feel like what it was like to be up against Exodia. Plus, the Rare Hunter could have one of the cards he was looking for.

Joey had enough. "Yugi, I can't stand by and watch this. I won't let you risk your Dark Magician."

But Yami wouldn't allow Joey to say another word. "That's enough, Joey. You must not reveal the Rare Hunter's strategy. I will defeat him. I promise you as a friend. Just as Emily said, I'm dueling for you as you would for me." Joey finally calmed down. "Do you remember when Weevil tossed my Exodia cards into the ocean? You risked your life to recover my cards not because Exodia was rare or powerful, but because I was a friend in need."

Then Yami got an idea. The Rare Hunter was drawing cards and playing defense until he could assemble all five pieces of Exodia. "I'm on to you, Rare Hunter. I know your strategy. You're planning to summon Exodia the Forbidden One!"

The Rare Hunter was shocked. _Ahh, no! How does he know?_

Yami smiled at Joey. "Thank you, Joey. You helped me to figure out the Rare Hunter's strategy without telling it to me."

The Rare Hunter pulled himself together and chuckled. "Just because you figured out my strategy doesn't mean you can stop me from succeeding. How do you hope to stop the unstoppable?"

"True, no one has ever stopped the unstoppable Exodia, but I'll be the first." Right now, that was an empty threat. If Yami hoped to make such an accomplishment, he would need to draw the right cards. He had Chimera attack the Stone Statue and placed a card face down. The Rare Hunter was about to draw, but Yami activated one of his traps. It was Time Seal and it prevented the Rare Hunter from drawing this turn. That trap was able to buy Yami some time, but he wouldn't be able to skip the Rare Hunter's turn again. He played Lightforce Sword and pierced one of the Exodia cards in the Rare Hunter's hand. It was the Right Arm of the Forbidden One. The card wasn't destroyed, but the Rare Hunter wouldn't be able to use it until the next three turns. To strengthen his forces, Yami sacrificed Chimera and played Summoned Skull in attack mode and destroyed the Moving Fortress.

The Rare Hunter was in a tight spot and needed to protect himself. He was the one who needed to buy himself some time now. He played Swords of Revealing Light to prevent Yami's monsters from attacking for three turns. Yami wouldn't be able to attack, but he could still play spells and traps and summon new monsters. For now, all he could do was draw and end his turn.

The Rare Hunter wasn't worried. Despite his card being under the effects of Yami's trap, he had other copies of the Exodia cards in his hands. He drew and got a second Exodia head, but he still had plenty of time to make his move. Yami drew and summoned Alpha the Magnet Warrior. He also warned the Rare Hunter of the flaws in his deck of relying on one monster to win. The Rare Hunter didn't want to take his chances. The individual pieces of Exodia could still be played as monsters. To protect his life points in case Yami would be able to attack, he played Exodia's head in defense mode.

This was exactly what Yami wanted the Rare Hunter to do. He activated his Chain Destruction trap. It couldn't destroy the Exodia head on the field, but it could destroy the ones in the Rare Hunter's hand and deck. Now that Exodia was destroyed, it was time to finish off the Rare Hunter. The effect of Yami's Dust Tornado removed the Swords of Revealing Light. Now Yami was free and used Monster Reborn to resurrect Chimera and destroy the Exodia head on the field. Summoned Skull and Alpha combined their powers to attack the Rare Hunter directly. Summoned Skull had 2500 attack points and Alpha had 1400 attack points. And thanks to Alpha's magnetic power, they got a 200 point boost which was more than enough to reduce the Rare Hunter's life points to zero.

It was an official Battle City duel, so not only did Yami get Joey's Red-Eyes Black Dragon back, but he also got a locator card. Yami took the Rare Hunter's deck, but as he looked through it, he felt something rubbing off on his fingers. Realizing that the cards were marked and the Rare Hunter was cheating, Yami ripped the cards to pieces.

The Rare Hunter started whimpering. "No, Master, please don't be angry," he begged and got on his feet. He placed his hands on his head and cried out in pain. "No, Master, please spare me!" Joey approached Yami and asked what was going on. Emily remembered seeing this happen to Bandit Keith and realized that the Rare Hunter's mind was being taken over.

The same villain who took over Bandit Keith's mind began speaking through the Rare Hunter. "We meet again, Pharaoh. Remember me? Actually, perhaps you don't. You were trapped in the Millennium Puzzle while I was dueling against little Yugi. But I assume you remember, Princess Emily."

"Yes, I remember," she replied.

"Anyway, congratulations on defeating my Rare Hunter. But he was the weakest of my army. My other minions will prove to be much more formidable. I have no patience for this nonsense, so I have taken over his body and sent his mind to the Shadow Realm. I am in complete control." Then the Rare Hunter's body began moving around like it was a ragdoll being roughly played with.

Joey groaned. "This guy's creeping me out!"

"How are you controlling his mind?" Emily asked.

"Each Millennium Item has its own unique power. Mind control is a simple task afforded to me by my Millennium Rod."

"No good can come from that kind of power," Emily growled.

"Allow me to introduce myself. Remember my name: Marik."

"Marik," Yami repeated and took a step forward. "What is it you want from us, Marik?"

"I want what's rightfully mine and I'll take it by using the strength of the Egyptian God cards."

"Egyptian what?" Emily asked.

"Millennia ago, a trio of powerful behemoths rampaged throughout ancient Egypt until they were sealed away," Marik was telling them. "When Pegasus created Duel Monsters, he resurrected these mighty beasts as cards. With these Egyptian God cards, I can destroy the both of you and claim the power I deserve."

"You'll never claim the Millennium Puzzle or the Millennium Star," Emily promised.

"You misunderstand," said Marik. "I want more than just the Puzzle and the Star. I also want the boundless energies of the ancient ruler himself. With it, no one will stand in my way. I'll use the all mighty power to conquer the world. I will be unstoppable. The end is near, Pharaoh and Princess. It's my world now!"

"Not yet, Marik," said Yami. "It's my destiny to defeat you."

"Then your destiny is easier said than done," Marik told him. "Your days are numbered, Pharaoh, so enjoy this tournament while it lasts." Then the Rare Hunter fell to the floor and remained motionless.

"Man, that was weird," Joey sighed. "I knew this guy was a big creep, but who knew he was working for an even bigger creep?"

Yami presented Joey with his card. "Here you go, Joey. Take your Red-Eyes Black Dragon back."

Joey was grateful to Yami for winning back his card like he promised, but he wouldn't take it. "Nah, Yuge. You hold on to it. It isn't mine to take, pal. You won it fair and square."

"But he won it for you," Emily told him.

"I know, Em," Joey replied. "But I think Yugi should take it. The Rare Hunters have collected tons of rare cards. Their decks are totally souped up. So I know they're gonna be tough to beat." He turns his attention to Yami and tells him, "Besides, this means that a part of me will be a part of your deck. You can think about me whenever you play my Red-Eyes. It's the least I can do to repay you. Back in Duelist Kingdom, you taught me about the rules and many different strategies and everything else I needed to know."

Emily smiled. "That's what friends are for."

"And that's why I want Yugi to keep my Red-Eyes. He's always helped me out, so it's time I helped him for a change. It's kinda cool knowing I'm helping you guys save the world. But don't forget, I'm still in the contest. And I have the rare card requirement covered. You see, Red-Eyes wasn't the only rare card in my deck. Yugi gave me another one way back at Duelist Kingdom." He looked through his deck and brought out the Time Wizard. "It bailed me out many times before and I know it's going to help me a lot again." He looked back at Yami. "You know, when you think about it, Yugi, both of our hearts are in our decks. We're a team and we'll get through this together. It's true, we'll whoop this Marik creep and his Rare Hunter goon squad so hard, they won't know what hit 'em. They'll be sorry they ever messed with us."

"Thank you, Joey," Yami said. "I'll take good care of your Red-Eyes."

"Don't sweat it. It's yours," he said and held out his hand.

Yami shook Joey's hand. "You are a true friend, Joey, and together we can take on any evil that comes our way." Emily wrapped her arms around Joey to hug him. He did the same thing. After that, they went their separate ways.


	13. The ESP Duelist

The ESP Duelist

Joey saw a crowd in the street and went to check out what the commotion was about. Rex Raptor had lost to the self-proclaimed psychic duelist Esper Roba. He groaned and gave up his locator card and Serpentine Night Dragon. Esper looked at his audience and asked who else thought they could beat him. He saw that a lot of people were intimidated and didn't want to take a chance. Then he saw Joey behind Rex and recognized him.

Joey had never met Esper Roba before or even heard of him. Rex told Joey not to accept his challenge because he would end up getting overwhelmed by Esper's psychic powers. But Joey was familiar with this tactic and figured he had nothing to worry about. So he ignored Rex's advice and accepted Esper's challenge.

Joey was about to make his first move until he saw Esper place his hands close to his brow and speaking in meditation, calling upon the celestial forces to reveal the cards in his opponent's hand and predict his move. When Joey heard Esper say that the first card in his hand was the Swordsman of Landstar, he was surprised to find out that he was right. But he still didn't believe that Esper really had psychic powers and claimed it was a scam. He placed Giltia the Knight on his duel disk which was a mistake. Giltia was a level five monster and couldn't be summoned unless a weaker monster was sacrificed. Joey was embarrassed and about to lose it. Because Joey lost his first move by default and had no monsters in play, Esper Roba was free to land a direct attack on his life points. He summoned Cyber Raider to the field and dealt 1400 points of damage to Joey.

Tristan went to the hospital to check up on Serenity. He even brought a laptop with him to check Joey's progress in the tournament. Serenity couldn't watch because her eyes were still healing, so Tristan decided to watch the duel and tell her what was going on. He saw that Joey already made a mistake on his first move, but assured Serenity that everything was just fine and the duel was going a little slow.

In the city, Yami and Emily also found out that Joey was in a duel and decided to watch. They didn't join the crowd. They instead went to one of the nearby buildings and watched from the roof. They saw that Esper Roba was intimidating Joey by displaying psychic acts and remembered how Mai did the same thing back at Duelist Kingdom. His talents seemed a bit more convincing, but Yami and Emily weren't too sure.

"Hey, Yami," Emily was saying, "I have a feeling Esper Roba isn't the psychic he claims to be."

Then she and Yami heard voices nearby. They looked down at one of the lower levels and saw four children. They weren't just watching the duel. The older boy had a pair of binoculars and was using them to look at Joey's cards. "I'm pretty sure I see Graceful Dice under his Swordsman."

The second eldest spoke to Esper through his receiver to relay the information. "Okay, big brother. Graceful Dice is under his Swordsman of Landstar."

"It looks like he _is_ a fake," said Yami. But there was nothing he or Emily could do but watch the duel and hope Joey would be able to keep it together and not let Esper psyche him out. They believed in their friend.

Esper got the information from his younger brothers and began putting on the same act by placing his hands close to his head and humming. Joey's frustration grew, but he didn't bother looking at his hand. The boy with the binoculars watched Joey draw. "Hold on, he just drew another Graceful Dice from his deck."

Joey finally made his move and summoned his Swordsman to the field and placed two cards face down. Esper assumed that they were both Graceful Dice. The card had the power to multiply a monster's attack points to the roll of the die. But the rules said that a duelist couldn't activate more than one of the same magic card on the same turn. Esper sacrificed Cyber Raider to summon the Fiend Megacyber, a powerful warrior with 2200 attack points. Joey revealed his first hidden card. It was Graceful Dice and it multiplied his Swordsman's attack points by three, raising his attack points to 1500. Then he activated his second card. To Esper's surprise, it was Skull Dice and it had the power to divide the opposing monster's attack points based on the roll of the die. The roll resulted in a five, lowering Fiend Megacyber's attack points to 440. And because Esper attacked a monster that was stronger than his, the damage came out of his life points. Now he had 2940 life points remaining.

Joey laughed as he saw the look on Esper's face and figured he was on to his ESP sham. He did have Dice cards, but they were hard to identify because of the way he held them in his hand. That made Joey realize that the only way Esper Roba was actually reading the cards in his hand was because he had friends in high places looking at his cards. The crowd watching the duel gasped as Joey explained. Even Rex was outraged to hear that his opponent was cheating. At first, Esper was nervous, but he kept calm and told Joey he was being absurd. Silently, he whispered into his receiver and told his brothers to read the cards right.

But that would never happen. Mokuba came to the roof and found Esper's brothers. He heard from his own brother that Esper was cheating and had help beating his opponents. Kaiba assigned Mokuba as the tournament commissioner, giving him the job to make sure all competitors were obeying the rules and not going through great lengths to break them. "Your brother will never duel in this town again," Mokuba said, taking the binoculars.

The boy he swiped the binoculars from spoke up. "We've learned our lesson. Please give us another chance."

"Our brother's not doing it for the dueling glory, he's doing it for us," said the young brother with the receiver. The boys explained their reasons for their psychic hoax to Mokuba. Their family came from the carnival and was often made fun of. Every day after school, bullies ganged up on Esper's younger brothers and picked on them. But bullies would show respect even to a great duelist. So Esper Roba decided to become a great duelist to keep the bullies from picking on his brothers. It would only stay that way as long as he kept winning duels and his brothers did everything to make sure he would keep winning even if it meant breaking the rules.

Mokuba's heart went out to the boys as he listened to their story. It made him reflect on his younger years when his big brother protected him from bullies. Even so, Mokuba couldn't ignore his responsibilities as commissioner. But the boys promised they wouldn't give Esper any more information on his opponent's cards. Mokuba saw Yami and Emily and wondered if they had been watching all along. He thought that they would let them go and they seemed like they learned their lesson. "This is your last chance," Mokuba softly warned. "If he cheats again, it's no more Mr. Nice Guy." Hearing that, Esper's brothers cheer and agree to keep their promise. "Big brother stories get me every time," Mokuba sighs, rubbing the back of his head and blushing.

Esper didn't hear his brothers through his receiver and wondered what was going on. Because of that, he decided to drop his ESP act and duel with his skill. He even said he could still win even without his ESP. For now, he played a card face down. It was Joey's turn again. He played a card face down, then summoned Alligator's Sword and attacked Esper directly, lowering his life points down to 1440. Joey knew that if he attacked Esper directly with his Swordsman, he would win, but Esper wasn't willing to give Joey that opportunity. He revealed his hidden card Mind Control and used it to control the Swordsman of Landstar. Joey knew what this was about. Because his two monsters had the same number of attack points and if Esper used his card the first time Joey attacked, the result would end in a stalemate. So Esper waited until Joey attacked the second time not just to save himself, but to sacrifice the monster.

By sacrificing Joey's Swordsman of Landstar, Esper was able to summon his most powerful monster. It was a machine type warrior named Jinzo. Not only did it have 2400 attack points, but it also had the ability to destroy trap cards in play. This was bad news for Joey because the card he had face down on the field was a trap and now it was gone; making Alligator's Sword vulnerable to attack. To end his turn, Esper equipped Jinzo with the magic card Amplifier. Now Jinzo's attack points were raised by 500. By attacking Alligator's Sword, Joey lost 1400 life points.

Joey's traps were rendered useless, but he was still allowed to use magic cards. And he was about to try his luck with a magic he trusted for a long time. He played Baby Dragon and Time Wizard together. Esper Roba was familiar with this effort, but told Joey it wouldn't be enough to help him. Nonetheless, Joey gave the Time Roulette a spin. The arrow landed on a time machine and Baby Dragon transformed into Thousand Dragon. Joey was looking forward to seeing what effect the time magic would do to Jinzo, but was shocked to see that nothing happened. It turned out that Jinzo's armor was made from a combination of adamant and titanium that would not age, rust, or corrode for thousands of years. Jinzo destroyed Thousand Dragon with its Cyber Energy Shock and brought Joey's life points down to 700. After that, Jinzo received 300 attack points from the Amplifier.

Joey was beginning to feel like his luck had run out. There wasn't a monster strong enough in his deck to stand against Jinzo and he had nothing left to defend himself with. Joey drew his card and played Scapegoat and four lamb tokens appeared on the field. It was Esper's turn again. He summoned a monster called Reflect Bounder to join Jinzo. Esper Roba had the perfect shield and sword. Any monster that tried to attack Reflect Bounder would end up destroying itself and Jinzo would continue to grow in strength with its Amplifier. It had 3200 attack points now.

Joey lost two of his tokens to Esper's monsters. Esper continued to torment Joey and tell him to surrender. Joey was thinking about taking Esper's word and quitting until he heard Tea's voice. Joey lifted his head and saw her in the audience with Yugi's grandfather. They were looking for Yugi until Tea got a call from Tristan and told her to find Joey instead because he was watching the duel with Serenity. Tea gave Joey the message and reminded him that his sister believes in him.

Hearing Tea's words of encouragement and mentioning his sister's name helped Joey to remember what he was fighting for. He stood up straight and drew his card. He had one last turn to change the game. He placed his hand on his card and prayed for the Heart of the Cards to see him through. It was actually going to be more about faith than luck now. The card he drew was Roulette Spider, a magic card that could help Joey win or lose. For the price of half of Joey's life points, the Spider attached itself to Jinzo and brought it to the center of the field. A roulette web appeared on the field. The move would work like this: Jinzo would spin around and destroy whatever it pointed to; a monster or a player. That was the risky part. But Joey believed and was going to take his chances.

Jinzo spun around for a long time. Esper was really nervous and felt he was more at risk than Joey was. Losing the duel wouldn't just mean losing a locator card or his rarest card, but his respect as a duelist. That meant that his brothers were also at risk. If Esper lost, his brothers would become the victims of bullies again. Finally, he told his monster to stop. Jinzo's spinning slowed down and it finally stopped and pointed at Reflect Bounder. It attacked with its Cyber Energy Shock. Reflect Bounder absorbed the attack and reflected it back at Jinzo before it was destroyed. Because Jinzo had 3200 attack points and Reflect Bounder had 1700 points, the damage came to 1500 life points; more than enough to defeat Esper Roba.

Seeing him on his knees, everyone in the audience begins saying sarcastic remarks about Esper's psychic act. Joey walked up to Esper and admitted that it was a tough duel, but his opponent played well. But Esper wouldn't accept Joey's kindness or defeat. He just stayed on the ground whining about his concern for his brothers.

Then Esper's four brothers appeared and congratulated him. They weren't sad or angry at their big brother for his loss and agreed with Joey that he played an awesome duel all on his own. It didn't matter to any of them that their big brother lost because he would always be their hero no matter what. That made Esper happy to hear them say that.

"Here," Esper said, presenting his locator card and Jinzo to Joey. "You deserve these. I'm sorry I cheated. You beat me fair and square, and next time we duel, I'm playing totally legit."

"I'll hold you to that," Joey said and began walking. He stopped for a minute. "You know, we're a lot alike, Esper. You've got your brothers and I've got my sister. And we're always there to support each other when we need to. And with that, nobody loses." And Joey and Esper went their separate ways.


	14. The Master of Magicians

The Master of Magicians

Both Yami and Emily were glad that things turned out well for Joey in his duel with Esper Roba. Not that they expected any less from their friend. They came to a small park in town and decided to relax for a little while. They still had to be careful. Marik's Rare Hunters were all over the city and there was no telling when they would attack.

"Red-Eyes Black Dragon is Joey's favorite card," Emily was saying. "But I guess it was wise of him to give it to you. Besides, like he said, a part of his heart lives in your deck so he'll be able to support you. And with Marik and his Rare Hunters looking for us, we'll need all the support we can get."

"Yes, and Joey will do very well on his own as long as he continues to believe in himself and in the Heart of the Cards," Yami added.

Just then, a strange man in a jester costume came before Yami and Emily. "Hello, my friends," he greeted unpleasantly. "We've been looking for you."

"Who's 'we?'" Emily asked.

"You'll find out eventually, just turn around and walk into that tent," he said, pointing to what looked like a circus tent across the street. "My master is waiting inside. It's in your best interest to go." The jester jumped into a bush behind him. Yami and Emily weren't sure what this was about, but they crossed the street and entered the tent.

It looked like a circus, all right. There were so many obstacles and contraptions. But there wasn't a show going on. "There's no one here," Emily said as she looked around. The lights turned on and the stage was lit up. Above was a sign that read: 'Magic Show'. In the middle of the stage, there was a Mystic Box and the same jester came out.

"Enter here, my friends," he called and waved his hand. "My master's waiting." Yami and Emily followed the jester into the Box. It actually turned out to be an elevator and brought them to what looked like the lower level of a building.

Yami and Emily stepped outside from the elevator wondering where they were. Then they saw a light in one of the rooms in the hall. It was coming from a computer. They looked and saw Yugi's image on the screen. "Hacking into Battle City database," the computer was saying. "Duelist profile for Yugi Muto. Dueling Level: five stars. Rarest monster: Dark Magician."

Then a red light flashed and Dark Magician emerged from the screen. He didn't look anything at all like the noble mage they knew. This Dark Magician had dark skin, silver hair, and red armor. "I have been waiting for," he was saying to Yami. "You are not worthy of having me in your deck, so prepare to lose me forever. You're not the only duelist with my power in your deck, Yugi, and you're certainly not the best. It's time you met the true master of the Dark Magician."

But Yami wasn't fooled by this mage for an instant. "All right, enough of your tricks."

Then they heard cackling and saw a masked man in a red suit. "Welcome, Yugi Muto. I am the illusionist known as Arkana and soon your favorite card will be dueling for me. Only a true master of magicians deserves the power of the Dark Magician. You will never know his true potential. Oh, I know it must be hard to think of your favorite card residing in another duelist's deck. I challenge you to a duel in which the winner will take the loser's Dark Magician."

Emily scoffed. _Master of magicians? Please_. As a child, Emily always liked magicians and thought about becoming one once her career as a performer would begin. But first she had to fully understand the magic qualities she already had.

Yami accepted Arkana's challenge. "You must know that when a duelist builds his deck, he chooses his favorites from many types of cards. But sometimes, a card can choose a duelist. When they are connected, the duelist can tap into the card's true power because each is bound by the Heart of the Cards and the Dark Magician has chosen me." He shuffled his deck and drew his favorite card. "He has never let me down and I place my complete trust in him."

"So it's true," said Arkana. "The great Yugi Muto never backs down from a challenge. But this isn't the perfect place for us to have a show. Fortunately, I know a better place for us and our only audience member." Then Arkana started leading Emily and Yami down the stairs. "Hurry, it's almost curtain time. I have orders from my superiors to make this a show to remember."

Emily stopped. "What do you mean you have orders? Who are you working for, Arkana?" Then she wondered, _Could this deranged showman be working for Marik?_

"Relax, my dear." Arkana said mockingly. "Forget who's backstage and just worry about me." And he led his two guests to his personal dueling arena. It was decorated like a real magician's stage with all the curtains and contraptions. "I arranged this just for us, Yugi. We're completely alone and our only audience member is our dear Emily. Now let's shuffle our decks and let the show begin." And Arkana and Yami exchanged decks.

"I'm watching you, Arkana," Yami warned. "Don't try any slight of hand."

"Card tricks are simply for amateurs, Yugi," said Arkana.

"Just to be sure, I'll cut your deck," Yami insisted as they placed their decks on the table.

Arkana accepted. "There is a saying among card sharks and high rollers: trust your opponent, but only after they've cut your deck."

"Here's another," Emily was saying. "Never trust a man wearing a mask."

Arkana growled. "That's offensive, Emily. Besides, your boyfriend and I are a lot alike. We play to win. And in this performance, the both of you will find there's an extra downside in losing." Then the ground below his feet and Yami's pulled them into their positions for the duel. Then shackles came out and locked themselves around their ankles.

"Relax," said Arkana. "We're both locked in, which means that neither of us can escape. Remember that extra twist I was mentioning? We're not just playing for what's inside our decks, but also our minds." Then a disk glowing with a blue light appeared. "That's a dark energy disk, but I wouldn't get too close. One touch and your mind is banished to the Shadow Realm!"

"Are you serious!?" Emily snapped, seeing that her assumptions were right.

"Just let me explain the rules. The numbers you see in the ring of the arena display our life points. The closer the disk gets to zero, the closer it gets to us. Now, if you'll look down, Yugi, you'll see a key box. It displays your opponent's life points and will only open if you win the duel."

Emily growled. "You're insane!"

Yami agreed. "What kind of person would toy with someone's mind? Are you some kind of demented madman?"

"No, I'm a man who's promised a show to remember. But don't think you're merely a spectator in all of this, Emily," Arkana was saying. "I'm afraid that Yugi and I won't be the only ones trapped." As Emily asks Arkana what he means, he counts to three and a platform appears behind her. As Emily is bound to the platform by its shackles, she's taken to the wall where the exit is. "Consider this a special seat for you, my dear. It's showtime."

Arkana drew his cards and looked at his hand. To his delight, one of the cards was his own Dark Magician and he would be ready to play it. Yami made the first move by playing a card face down and summoning Alpha the Magnet Warrior in defense mode. Arkana also summoned a monster in defense mode. It was a Fiend Jester. All he needed was another monster on the field so he could summon his Dark Magician.

But that wouldn't happen. Yami knew that the only way to defeat this trickster was to think like a trickster. Yami didn't trust Akrana's hand, so he played Card Destruction. Now Arkana and Yami had to discard their hands and start over with a clean slate. After that, Yami played Brain Control and took control of Arkana's Fiend Jester. By sacrificing the two monsters, Yami summoned his Dark Magician to the field. Arkana was certainly not expecting this.

"You believe in nothing but trickery and winning at all costs," Yami was telling Arkana. "Now see what happens when you believe in the Heart of the Cards." And the Dark Magician showed Arkana some real magic by dealing 2500 points of damage to his life points.

"You've already lost more than half of your life points, Arkana," said Emily. "And we're still waiting for this grand magic show you promised us."

Arkana recovered from the attack. "That was just the opening act, my dear," he said calmly. But it was actually hard for him to keep calm as he saw the dark energy disk coming closer to his ankles.

Emily saw the same thing. "Why don't you set us free and end this madness, Arkana?" she asked, concerned not just for Yami, but for the showman as well. True, he was mad, but not even he deserved to be in the danger he was putting himself in. "If you receive another direct attack, your mind will be banished to the Shadow Realm!"

"My mind?" Akrana asked and laughed. "Never! I promised you a show to remember, Emily, and I never disappoint my audience. And your boyfriend should only worry about himself as well. It's my show and I can't lose."

Yami sighed in disappointment. "We gave you a chance to save yourself, but now I have no choice. Prepare to lose it all, Arkana."

But Arkana wouldn't let that scare him. He saw he was in a tight spot and needed to protect himself. So he summoned Mystic Tomato in defense mode. It only had 1100 defense points and wouldn't be enough to protect him. To end his move, he played a card face down. It wouldn't be worth the effort of attacking with Dark Magician, so Yami summoned Beta the Magnet Warrior to the field. This was what Arkana wanted to happen. He activated his trap card Dark Renewal. A coffin appeared and drew in the Mystic Tomato and the Magnet Warrior. In exchange, Arkana's Dark Magician emerged from the coffin and appeared on the field.

"You have your wish," Yami said as the two mages stood face-to-face against each other. They were equal in power, so both duelists had to think strategically. Yami played two cards face down on the field. Arkana decided to mimic Yami's move and play two cards face down as well. They did the same thing in their next turn and saw that their Dark Magicians were on the field protected by four magic and trap cards. It was now time to see who the real master of magicians was.

Arkana revealed his first magic card. It was Mystical Guillotine. The blade was about to sever the head of Yami's Dark Magician, but Yami saved his mage by playing Magical Hats. Arkana wouldn't waste his efforts by playing guessing games. He activated his second card Thousand Knives. The daggers detected Yami's mage and were lunged for the Magical Hat they were aiming for. Yami saved his mage once again by playing De-Spell to destroy the Magical Hats and the daggers. Destroying the Dark Magicians wouldn't be easy for either of the two duelists, but they had their mages attack.

"They'll destroy each other!" Emily cried, watching the Dark Magicians clash in magic and disappear from the field. But Arkana and Yami brought them back to the field by playing Monster Reborn.

"It looks like we're back to where we started," said Arkana.

"Yes, a stalemate," said Yami. "Why don't you set us all free and duel with honor?"

"With honor?" Arkana echoed. "And ruin all the fun? Never!"

"Have it your way," Yami said and drew his card.

"Arkana, wait," Emily was saying, "I have a question. Why did you bring us here and force my friend to a duel in which the loser's mind is sent to the Shadow Realm?"

"I'm just following my master's orders," he plainly answered.

"Enough secrets, Arkana," Yami demanded. "Tell us what this is about."

"Take a look at my face," Arkana said, removing his mask.

Yami and Emily gasped, seeing the scars all over his eyes. "Oh, my God," Emily whispered. "What happened to you?"

Arkana explained his story saying he was a wonderful magician who had what every performer did; fame and fortune. But what he loved more was his assistant and fiancé Katherine. They were going to get married until Arkana's last performance met with an accident, leaving him injured and scarred. In pain, he pushed Katherine away and didn't want her to see him in his condition. But when he realized he wanted her to stay by him, she was already gone. Then he met Marik. Marik offered Arkana a deal and promised to reunite him with Katherine if he could defeat Yugi in a duel.

Emily found herself feeling sorry for Arkana and wanting to help him. "You're making a mistake, Arkana. Working for Marik will only bring you greater pain and suffering."

"She's right," said Yami. "Marik cares about no one but himself. He'll say and do anything to get what he wants."

Arkana put his mask back over his eyes. "It's a cruel world, my friends. There are few people you can rely on. But I am counting on Marik to reunite me with Katherine." Then a light turned on behind him and Yami and Emily saw a girl sitting in a chair behind a curtain. "Marik's a man of his word. You shouldn't be so quick to judge."

But Emily stood by her word. "You're a fool to trust Marik, Arkana. You should trust in yourself and in your cards."

Yami agreed. "You rely on tricks and illusions instead of your deck and that will be your downfall."

"They're just cards, you fools," Arkana argued.

"No, they're not," Emily said, her voice now stronger. "Yugi and I put our hearts in our decks and that's something you'll never understand."

Arkana just laughed. "Putting his faith in his cards will be Yugi's downfall," he countered.

But Emily wouldn't give up. "Set us free, Arkana," she said again. "It's not too late to stop this."

But he still stubbornly refused to listen. "Not until I win your boyfriend's Dark Magician!" He drew his card and placed it face down. It was Yami's turn again. He placed two cards face down and ended his turn. Arkana revealed his hidden magic card Back into the Dark. A red arm stretched down from the sky to take Yami's Dark Magician to the graveyard. Yami revealed his hidden trap card. It was Mystical Rift Panel, a trap that allowed him to redirect whatever spell was being used against him somewhere else. But Arkana's card was a decoy to get Yami to use his trap. He used his second hidden card Nightmare's Chains to capture Dark Magician. He was bound to a platform just like how Emily was, with nothing to do but watch the duel helplessly.

Arkana's Dark Magician attacked Yami directly, dropping his life points to 1500 and evening the score between the duelists. Yami didn't know how to free his Dark Magician. For now, all he could do was protect his life points. He summoned Big Shield Gardna in defense mode. It had a strong defense of 2600 and would be able to protect him. Arkana summoned a monster known as Doll of Demise. It had 1600 attack points and 1700 defense points. Next, he played a magic card called Ectoplasmer. He was going to use it to drain the life essence of his monsters and fire it to deal damage to Yami's life points.

"If you turn your monsters into hollow shells, they'll be of no use to you," said Yami.

"Maybe so, but once I've destroyed you, I'll have no use for them anyway." Listening to what his master's saying, Arkana's Dark Magician reacts in shock. Seeing Arkana extract the soul of the Doll of Demise and use it to attack Yami, the mage begins to realize what kind of duelist he is and believes Yami and Emily to be right. The Doll's soul passed through Big Shield Gardna and dropped Yami's points down to 700. Seeing Yami in danger, Dark Magician and Emily both grit their teeth and react in fear.

"You played well, Yugi," Arkana admitted, "but do you know why you and your beloved Dark Magician couldn't defeat me? You're too soft. In battle, monsters react best to fear. You have to make certain that they are afraid of you. You will never command their respect with kindness and trust. Just look at your Dark Magician. You are the master and they are the servants. They should ensure your victory even if it means being sacrificed to get you there."

"You're a sick man!" Emily snarled, seeing the expression on Arkana's Dark Magician. It was actually the mage himself she felt sorry for. She felt sorry for the Dark Magician for having to reside in the deck of someone like Arkana and having to put up with his cruelty. She could read his expression, saying, 'how could he use me and betray me?' and 'am I really nothing more to him than a servant?' Especially as Arkana continued to boast that it was his show and admit that his Dark Magician was no more than a pawn. The cruelty wouldn't stop as Arkana used his magic card to drain the soul of his Dark Magician. Having completely lost it now, Emily bursts into tears and begs Arkana to stop. "Please stop it! This has gone far enough!" She just couldn't stand to see a monster loyal to Arkana being taken advantage of.

But just as the soul of Arkana's Dark Magician fired for attack, the soul of Yami's Dark Magician shielded him. Both mages ended up being destroyed. "You're so busy disrespecting your cards that you fail to use them properly," Yami was telling Arkana. "When there's more than one of the same monster on the field, they're all affected by your Ectoplasmer card in the same way. So my Dark Magician's soul was drained as well."

"Can't you see that you've already lost this duel, Arkana?" Emily asked. "I mean, do you really think that by defeating Yugi, Marik will reunite you with your lost love Katherine? If so, you're more of a fool that we thought."

"For once, listen to us and set us free!" Yami demanded.

But he wouldn't. Arkana continued to stubbornly refuse to listen to reason. He played a card face down and ended his turn. "Remember, this is my show and the grand finale is so close. Don't forget I'm a master of magicians; the king of Dark Magicians."

Emily glared in disbelief. "You're not even close. What kind of king would extract the soul of his own Dark Magician? You disrespect your cards and rely on tricks to win."

"But I'll make sure you lose," Yami finished and drew his card. He summoned Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts in attack mode. Arkana activated his trap card Shadow Balance. A scale appeared on the field and drew Yami's monsters in. The trap was to set the number of monsters Yami had on the field equal to Arkana's and since he didn't have any monsters, the scale destroyed Gazelle and Big Shield Gardna.

It was time for Arkana's biggest move. He may have considered himself to be a master of magicians, but he knew every trick in the book and had more than one Dark Magician in his deck. And he had the card that would allow him to summon his second mage without the need of a sacrifice. It was Dark Magic Curtain. For the price of half of his life points, Arkana's second Dark Magician appeared on the field. But Arkana didn't forget about Yami's two remaining hidden cards. To destroy them, he played Anti-Magic Arrows, leaving him wide open to attack.

But just as the Dark Magician was about to attack, the Dark Magic Curtain appeared on Yami's side of the field. "You really should pay closer attention to how your cards work, Arkana. The Dark Magic Curtain can work for both players who have magicians to summon," said Yami. "And just like you did, I'll pay half of my life points to summon another Dark Magician."

"Wait a minute," Arkana was saying, "I was told you only had one Dark Magician in your deck!"

"Well, you're half right, but also misinformed. The Dark Magician I plan to summon is of a different variety and it is more powerful than yours."

"You lie!" Arkana yelled. "I'd know if another kind of Dark Magician existed! It can't be!"

But Emily knew what Yami was talking about. "It is." And her favorite and most trusted monster emerged from the curtain.

"It's true!" Arkana gasped. "A female Dark Magician! But you're wrong about one thing: her attack points are less than that of my Dark Magician's and is about to lose in a head-to-head battle!" But Arkana was the one who was wrong again as his Dark Magician was defeated by Dark Magician Girl.

Since this was Emily's favorite monster, she decided to explain. "Dark Magician Girl gains 300 attack points for every Dark Magician in the card graveyard, Arkana."

"It still doesn't add up," he protested. "Yugi had only one Dark Magician in his graveyard, so his Dark Magician Girl had 2300 attack points."

"Open your eyes," she scolded. "If you truly were a master of magicians, then you would know that Dark Magician Girl's ability applies to both players. She gains 300 attack points for every Dark Magician no matter whose graveyard he's in. So when you selfishly sacrificed your first Dark Magician, you helped to raise her strength." Then Arkana's Dark Magician appeared and tightened his eyes with an expression that read 'that's what you get for mistreating me.'

"And now, Arkana, prepare for my grand finale as I wipe out the rest of your life points," Yami said and declared an attack. "When you mistreat your cards, you pay a high price; you lose."

Emily agreed. "It was because you disrespected your Dark Magician that you lost, Arkana."

"That can't be," Arkana argued. "I am the greatest magician the world has ever known. You two are nothing!"

"What we are is very sorry for you," Emily said. Then her shackles unlocked themselves and she was set free. Yami's key box opened as well and revealed a key and a locator card. Arkana continued to cry for help, but remembered he had a spare key hidden in his sleeve. He was about to free himself until he felt Marik's presence. Marik warned Arkana that he didn't hold his end of the bargain and now he had to pay by surrendering himself to the Shadow Realm. Marik even tormented Arkana's mind by convincing him that the key in his hand was no more than an illusion.

Yami unlocked the shackles around his ankles and set himself free. Hearing the voices of his friends on the other side, he let Yugi take over. Yugi and Emily agreed to save Arkana. He wasn't in his right mind and brought great cruelty upon himself and his opponents as well as the cards in his deck. But even so, he didn't deserve to go to the Shadow Realm.

Arkana didn't bother thanking Yugi or Emily for helping him. He ran to the other room where the woman was sitting. What Arkana thought to believe was Katherine was actually a doll. He kept speaking to the doll even after realizing he was tricked, begging Katherine to come back into his life.

It pained Yugi and Emily to see him like this, heartbroken and driven mad. "Arkana, are you going to be all right?" Emily asked as she approached him. "Is there anything we can do? Arkana?"

"Arkana is gone," Marik said as he began speaking through him. "So we meet again, Emily and Yugi. I'm sure there's no need for introductions."

"Show your face to us, you coward," Yugi growled.

"I'll reveal myself to you when the time is right and no sooner," Marik promised. "Once I obtain what's mine and I'm sure the both of you know exactly what I want. The unlimited power of the ancient pharaoh; the spirit that lives within the Millennium Puzzle."

"Never, Marik," said Yugi.

"You can't stop me. Do you remember when I took control over Bandit Keith? I almost succeeded in separating you from the Millennium Puzzle forever. And I could have taken you with me, Emily, after I discovered you were the Egyptian princess I had been searching for. But now that you have the Millennium Star and its powers are slowly restoring, I can come after you as well."

"Tell us why you want my power and Yami's," Emily demanded.

"Because your powers are rightfully mine," Marik answered. "And once they fall into my hands, I will be unstoppable. The world will be mine and no one will be able to stand in the way of my destiny; especially not the two of you."

"Oh, yeah? Watch us, Marik," Yugi tested.

"Listen to me, you two, my family has served the pharaoh for centuries, protecting his tomb until his return, and for what? I should be pharaoh!"

"Never," Yugi promised. "You won't get the power of the pharaoh and we'll make sure you don't."

Emily agreed. "That power belongs to Yami, not you."

Marik laughed at that. "Well, we'll just see about that, Princess. Little Yugi is nothing more than a vessel for your father's spirit. He could never comprehend his strength nor could he stand in my way of getting it. You don't stand much of a chance either. You've only begun to understand your own power. My family has given up too much to let someone else claim the throne. I was raised on the ancient scriptures learning everything there is to know about King Yami and the Shadow Games. The key is to obtain the Millennium Puzzle and the three Egyptian God cards. But I can't just take the Puzzle. According to the ancient scriptures, I have to defeat little Yugi in a duel. Then I'll banish him to the Shadow Realm."

"But why would you do that?" Yugi asked.

"To make sure you stay out of my way," Marik told him. "And once I'm through with you, little Yugi, I'll come after the princess and seize the Millennium Star. But the power I already have isn't enough to match the power of the Star. That's why my first intention is obtaining the power of the pharaoh. And once I obtain your Puzzle and the three Egyptian God cards, I will be king. And a much more worthy king than your counterpart Yami. He doesn't even know how to harness the great powers that lie dormant within. I, on the other hand, know full well how to take them from him. And my Millennium Rod will make sure I get everything I need."

"Who has these Egyptian God cards?" Emily asked.

"I already possess two of them and I know where to find the third one," Marik answered. "Soon enough, my loyal team of Rare Hunters will bring the final card to me. It's only a matter of time until I take what is rightfully mine and banish your father and boyfriend to the dreaded Shadow Realm where they will spend the rest of eternity while the rest of the world is kneeling before King Marik! You and Yugi are powerless against me, Princess. My destiny can't be stopped. The three Egyptian God cards and the Millennium Puzzle will belong to me. And I will strip the pharaoh of his ancient powers and use them for myself."

Yugi places his hand over the Millennium Puzzle. He had to keep Marik from obtaining the power he wanted. History is repeating itself and the world is depending on Yami and Yugi's victory. For now, Yugi had to make sure that Marik couldn't defeat him in a duel. "You'll never beat me in a duel, Marik, so you'll never get your hands on my Puzzle."

Marik laughed. "I promise you by the sands of Egypt, the pharaoh's power will be mine. Another one of my mind slaves is already in Battle City waiting to defeat you and take your Puzzle and he holds an Egyptian God card."

Yugi and Emily gasped. "And what is the name of this card?"

"You'll find out soon enough, Princess. Until then, beware the quiet one."

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked. "Who is the quiet one?"

But Marik wouldn't answer. "We'll meet again, Yugi and Emily."

Then Arkana fell to the ground. Yugi and Emily caught him. "We're not afraid of you," Yugi warned. "Next time, show us your face, you coward!"

Tristan broke down the door and charged in followed by Tea, Solomon, and Mokuba. It was hard to explain everything that happened down here. Emily and Yugi decided it would be best not to mention Marik and the dangers he put everyone through the duel. For now, it would be best to get out of the arena and back into the city.


	15. Playing With a Parasite

Playing with a Parasite

The next day, Max, Mai, Yugi, Joey, and Emily all met up at the square of town. "Still in the tournament, Wheeler?" Mai asked as she and Joey high-fived each other.

"You bet," Joey answered. "I'm already a proud owner of two locator cards."

Mai and Max held out their hands. "Read 'em and weep," they said, showing four locator cards.

"Awesome job, guys," said Yugi. "I've already got three."

"Aw, man," groaned Joey. "I got the least! How am I ever gonna make it to the Battle City finals?"

"There's still plenty of time," said Emily. "Remember, you need six locator cards to enter the finals."

"Well, none of us are going to get to the finals standing around here."

"Max's right," said Joey. "Watch out, 'cause I'm about to do some serious catching up."

"Good luck and miss me," Mai said and blew a kiss. Max decided to head to another part of town and Yugi and Emily headed out together. They knew that Marik's Rare Hunters were after them, but they would be ready.

Once again, Tea was late to meet up with her friends. Apparently Tristan held her up by checking on Serenity again. Yugi's grandfather decided to help Tea and Tristan find Yugi.

Meanwhile, Joey was walking through the city looking for another competitor until a boy came up to him. He presented Joey with a marker and a piece of paper asking for an autograph for his sister. As Joey was thinking about what to write, the boy asked him if he could try on his duel disk. Joey figured there would be no harm in letting him look at it, so he removed it from his wrist and handed it to the boy. That was actually a mistake. The kid began running away with the duel disk. Joey started chasing after him.

Tea, Tristan, and Solomon saw Joey chasing after the kid. Tristan jumped in front of him and caught him. The boy apologized to Joey for taking his duel disk and gave it back. His reasons for doing it was because another kid stole a deck he worked so hard to build and he really wanted to be in the tournament. He described the thief as having big spectacles like bug eyes and blue hair. Based on his description, Joey, Tea, and Tristan assumed that it was Weevil and he was up to his dirty tricks again. The boy told the group that the last time he saw Weevil was at the fountain near the park.

But it was all just a scam to lure Joey into a duel. The boy met up with Weevil and said he did everything he was told to do, but couldn't find his girlfriend. Weevil was disappointed to hear that he couldn't find Emily, but luring Joey into his trap was enough satisfaction. So for his trouble, Weevil presented the boy with a card. He hoped it would be a rare and powerful card like Weevil promised, but was disappointed to see it was just a common insect card. Seeing that his partner is ungrateful, Weevil sprays the poor boy with spider silk and heads to the fountain to meet Joey.

At the city hospital, Serenity was minding her own business in her room until she heard her door open. One of the nurses came in and asked her if she heard anyone come in her room. She did, but she answered differently. The nurse left and decided to continue her search. Hearing the sound of her footsteps fading, Serenity tells the runaway that the coast is clear. It was a young boy named Kenta. When he asked Serenity why she protected him, she admitted that she was pretty scared of the tests too, but found that they weren't as bad as she feared. Kenta didn't know how to thank Serenity, so she asked him to look up the Battle City website and search for Joey so she could get the play-by-play.

Joey and the others came to the fountain looking for Weevil until he finally showed up. He didn't like being accused of stealing and told them so. Joey knew what Weevil wanted though. So he decided to settle things in a duel. Weevil accepted and wanted to make it an all-out match by wagering two locator cards. Joey agreed. If Yugi could beat Weevil, then there was no reason why he couldn't. But he had to be careful. Weevil still had ways of getting what he wanted and was still a sneaky cheat.

Joey made the first move by summoning his Swordsman of Landstar in attack mode and a card face down on the field. Weevil summoned Flying Kamakiri #1, an insect with 1400 attack points. He declared an attack, but Joey activated his face down card, Shield and Sword, to swap the attack and defense points of their monsters. Now Joey's Swordsman had 1200 attack points and Weevil's insect had 900. Weevil lost 300 life points, but played Flying Kamakiri #2 to take his fallen monster's place. This monster had 1500 attack points, but Joey knew how to defeat this bug. He sacrificed his Swordsman and summoned Jinzo to crush Weevil's insect and deal 900 points of damage.

Weevil played a monster in defense mode, but as Jinzo attacked, it came out and began feeding on Jinzo's blood like a leech. It was called Kisetai and had 300 attack points. It also had the power to increase Weevil's life points by 1200 with each passing turn. Weevil ended his turn by playing a monster in defense mode and gaining 1200 life points, bringing him back to 4000. Jinzo was still able to attack, but the monster it attacked was Skull Marked Ladybug, giving Weevil 500 extra life points. Weevil played another monster in defense mode and gained 1200 more life points thanks to his Kisetai.

Joey decided to get rid of Weevil's leech by summoning Panther Warrior. Since his armored feline needed a sacrifice in order to attack, Joey offered up his Jinzo and destroyed the leech with it. Seeing Joey's monster attack his last defense, Weevil decided not to play any more games and get serious. So he summoned Larvae Moth. Joey remembered this monster and knew what his opponent was up to. Weevil also played Cocoon of Evolution. He wasn't finished yet. Next, Weevil played Reckless Parasite to draw out any insect cards in Joey's deck. Joey was shocked to see a monster called Parasite Paracide emerge from his deck on to the field. Now he understood why the boy from before took his duel disk and realized that he put the card in his deck. But it was too late. Now that the Parasite was in play, all of Joey's monsters would become infected and turn into insects.

Weevil finally ended his turn by placing a card face down on the field. Joey was in trouble. Since any monster he would summon would become infected by the Parasite, he could no longer make any sacrifices. But looking closely, he saw that Weevil's Cocoon of Evolution was in attack mode and had no attack points. Joey summoned Little-Winguard and used it to attack. Weevil's fear of defeat and loss of strategy was an act as he revealed his face down card Insect Barrier. Now all of Joey's monsters were prevented from attacking.

Weevil's insects could pass through the Barrier and attack Joey, so he summoned another insect called Leghul. It had the ability to bypass Joey's monsters and attack Joey directly, taking 300 life points. There was nothing Joey could do now but put his monsters in defense mode. To pass the time, Weevil continued to attack Joey directly. Joey spent his last turn waiting by summoning Alligator's Sword in defense mode and playing a card face down. Now the time had come. Five turns passed and the Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth emerged from the Cocoon of Evolution with 3500 attack points.

Back at the hospital, Kenta was telling Serenity what was going on. "It doesn't look good for Joey. That Great Moth is just too powerful. Maybe he should just give up."

"No way, Kenta," said Serenity. "Joey's going to win and we're not giving up on him."

Kenta was still in doubt. "But his life points keep getting lower and he hasn't been able to attack. It's probably best for him to run away and hide."

"You mean like you did today?"

Kenta sighed in response. But it couldn't be helped for him to be scared of his tests even though he was promised he had nothing to be afraid of. What actually scared him was the fact that he didn't have any friends in the ward and had to go through the processes alone. That was why he ran and decided to stay hidden. But he decided to keep informing Serenity on the status of Joey's duel.

The Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth attacked Alligator's Sword. But Joey believed in his deck and drew a card that would help him. He played two cards face down and switched his monsters in attack mode. Weevil doubted that Joey had a plan, but he didn't want to take his chances, so he played a monster in defense mode and landed another direct attack on Joey. After that, he decided to attack the Parasite on Joey's side of the field. This was what he wanted. Joey revealed his hidden trap Skull Dice and used it to cut the Great Moth's attack points in half. Next, he played Graceful Dice to raise his Parasite's attack points. The die rolled into a four, multiplying its attack points to 2000. And since it was too late for Weevil to call off his attack, the Great Moth was crushed by the Parasite and Weevil lost 250 life points, bringing him down to 5450.

But the truth was the Great Moth was a common housefly compared to Weevil's real weapon and he was about to summon it to the field. First, he summoned Insect Soldier of the Sky in attack mode. Next, he played Eradicating Aerosol to destroy the monster he played in defense mode last turn. It was called Pinchhopper and once it was sent to the graveyard, Weevil would be able to summon a powerful insect from his hand without needing to make a sacrifice. The monster Weevil chose to summon was Insect Queen. She received 200 attack points for every insect on the field, and since Joey's monsters were still infected by the Parasite, she had a total of 3200 attack points.

Kenta was amazed to see Joey turn things around by crushing Weevil's Great Moth, but was scared to see the Insect Queen in play. It made Kenta feel like Joey was in his place and having to face his troubles all alone. But Serenity reminded Kenta that Joey wasn't alone because he had her support and the help of his friends and they always help one another even in spirit. Hearing Serenity's words, Kenta asks her to be his friend so he doesn't have to feel alone when he's scared. Serenity offers Kenta her friendship, but reminds him that right now, her brother needs their support.

Weevil continued to raise Insect Queen's power by sacrificing Leghul. After that, he attacked and destroyed Joey's Little-Winguard. And because it was in attack mode, Joey lost 1800 life points and was down to his last 1000. Also, to keep the extra attack points, the Insect Queen laid an egg. This was bad for Joey. In the next few turns, for every monster the Insect Queen destroyed and every egg she laid, the eggs would hatch and come after his life points like a deadly swarm. He drew his card and ended his turn by placing it face down on the field. Weevil noticed that Joey didn't switch his monsters back into defense mode. First he played Cockroach Knight to raise his Insect Queen's strength and attack Joey. This last attack would ensure his victory. But Joey left his monsters in attack mode on purpose. He activated his trap Magical Arm Shield to capture Weevil's Insect Soldier of the Sky and deal the damage to his own life points instead. Now Weevil had 3250 life points remaining, but Joey still had a long way to go before he could defeat him. This time, he really switched his monsters back into defense mode.

The Cockroach Knight Weevil sacrificed before had the ability to return to the top of the cardholder's deck every time it was destroyed, so Weevil could keep feeding it to his Insect Queen. After that, the Queen destroyed Joey's Panther Warrior and laid another egg. Joey felt like he was running out of options, but his friends reminded him that they were all right behind him. He even heard them mention his sister and remembered that she believed in him too. That was enough encouragement for him to keep going and never give up. He drew his card and finally found a way to break through the Insect Barrier. Joey played a card face down and summoned a warrior called Gearfried the Iron Knight. It had 1800 attack points and a powerful armor made of iron and the Parasite wasn't able to feed off of metal. So the Iron Knight could break through the Insect Barrier and attack Weevil's pests, starting with the Insect Queen's eggs.

Weevil sure didn't see that coming, but he wasn't going to allow Joey to weaken his Queen and damage his life points. To strengthen his Queen, Weevil summoned an ant colony to the field by combining Soldier Ant with the magic card Ant Reproduction. Now Insect Queen was even stronger after absorbing the power of ten more insects. But Joey was ready. He activated his trap Graverobber and used the Eradicating Aerosol in Weevil's graveyard to exterminate the Insect Queen. After that, Gearfried attacked the last egg and destroyed the rest of Weevil's life points.

"All right, Weevil, cough 'em up," Joey said, walking up to the insect duelist. "Your Insect Queen and your two locator cards."

"Have mercy," Weevil begged.

But Joey wouldn't. "You should have thought of that before you decided to cheat. And just like in Duelist Kingdom, you're out of the tournament!"

Even Kenta cheered as he saw Joey's victory. A new feeling even came over him. He decided not to run away from his fears anymore because all of his friends would be there to support him. He even dreamed of one day becoming a great duelist like Joey. But Serenity promised Kenta she would cheer the loudest as she would support him.

Joey's victory caught the attention of many of the other duelists. Once again, Yugi and Emily were proud of their friend. "He's almost made it to the finals," said Emily. "And he's been doing so well even without his Red-Eyes."

Yugi agreed. "But now Joey's Red-Eyes will be helping us. It won't be easy with Marik's Rare Hunters looking for us, but we'll be ready." And they went back on their way.

Joey really has been coming a long way in the tournament. He outwitted two top ranked duelists who turned out to be cheaters. But it was good because it helped Joey to prepare for anything; including the finals.


	16. Mime Control

Mime Control

Marik was on his way to Battle City, but he wasn't ready to confront Yugi yet. He still remembered the promise he made to him after he defeated Arkana.

One of Marik's Rare Hunters appeared. "Is it time, Master Marik? The quiet one awaits."

"Yes, I shall control his mind and eliminate Yugi once and for all." Then he began activating the power of his Millennium Rod. Marik's new mind slave was a mime named Strings. Under the influence of Marik's power, Strings ran through the city in search of Yugi.

Yugi and Emily were standing near a lake below a highway. They couldn't keep their minds off of what Marik kept ranting on about. Speaking of minds, Emily discovered a new power the Millennium Star offered and learned she could communicate with Yami and Yugi mentally. But she could only do it as long as she was close to them. "Marik keeps talking about wanting the power of the pharaoh," she was telling Yami, though Yugi was in control. "But you are the pharaoh. If you had all this power inside you, don't you think we would know about it? I guess you must if you saved the world five thousand years ago. What happened?"

"I'm not sure," Yami answered. "It's all still unclear."

"Well, we know that Marik's family has been protecting your tomb for years and for some reason, he thought he deserved to be pharaoh instead of you."

Yugi spoke up. "But we're going to do everything in our power to make sure that Marik doesn't get away with it. As long as he can't defeat us in a duel, he can't take the Millennium Puzzle or your hidden powers. Destiny brought this Puzzle to me and even though I didn't know it when I first put it together, I was meant to have it. Now you and I are bonded forever no matter what and I'm going to help you save the world just like you did in the past."

Emily nods. "And so am I. You may have done it alone five thousand years ago, but now you have us and the rest of our friends to help you. And with our support, you'll never lose."

"Thank you both," said Yami. "Your friendship means a great deal to me."

"Together we're going to figure out the mysteries of your past and put a stop to Marik's plan," Yugi promised. "I just hope I'm strong enough to hold my own."

"You've already proven your strength, Yugi," Yami tells him. "Your courage and determination are greater than I've ever seen. I said it before; you have the heart of a champion."

Everyone keeps quiet until they sense the presence of an evil force approaching. "Show yourself!" Yugi demands.

Then Marik's mind slave appears. "Prepare to duel, Yugi, and lose your Puzzle!"

"Marik!" Yugi and Emily gasp.

"Yes, and soon, you and the entire world will be calling me Pharaoh!"

"You coward!" Emily cried.

"We'll meet soon enough," Marik promises. "Until then, why should I waste my efforts when I can defeat your boyfriend and your father by using my mind slaves? Battling with my Millennium Rod is no different than Yugi using his Millennium Puzzle to duel."

The Millennium Puzzle began activating and Yami came to take control. "That's not true," he protested. "You force your servants to do your dirty work by controlling their minds against their will. I duel with respect and honor."

"And I will do what is necessary to claim your Puzzle."

"To do that, Marik, you'll have to defeat me and break the Heart of the Cards. And I can assure you that won't happen."

But Marik wouldn't stop. "You don't even know how to use your power. So destiny has chosen me to take the power of the pharaoh away from you and then use it to destroy you."

"That ancient power is not yours to take, Marik."

Emily faces Yami and tells him, "You tell him! No way is he getting his hands on your power!"

"I just did."

"Okay then." And Emily stepped away to watch from the sidelines. She held up her thumb and winked at Yami and said, "Do your thing, Father Pharaoh!"

Yami smiles back and nods. "It's time to duel, Marik."

At the Domino museum, Ishizu stared at the royal tablets. "The wheels of fate are in motion. Now Yami faces Marik and although my brother follows the path of evil, he can be saved. There is goodness inside of him. But in order for his good side to shine, Marik must fail in his quest to obtain ultimate power."

Outside the museum, Max and Bakura met up and their evil spirits began taking control. "Our Millennium Ring and Cobalt Star shard have brought us to the museum," said the evil spirit controlling Bakura. "There is a Millennium Item inside." But Ishizu could sense the evil spirits from inside and hid herself from them.

"The mystical energies are growing stronger," the spirit of the Millennium Ring said as he and his partner walked inside the museum. They came to the room Ishizu was in when the presence mysteriously disappeared. "What's this? The force is gone."

"Look," the evil Max said, turning her attention to the tablets.

Her partner walked closer towards them. "The royal family's tablets are here." He chuckled as he looked at the images. "It's been quite a long time since I laid my eyes on these stone carvings just like how it seemed like it was only yesterday when the princess inherited the Millennium Star."

"Yes, and once we obtain all seven Millennium Items and the Millennium Star, we can unlock the ancient magic depicted by these tablets."

As Ishizu remained in hiding, she was listening to the evil spirits. "These spirits have some knowledge of the ancient scriptures, but don't know all. For my brother seeks a power far more dangerous. He plans to obtain the power of the pharaoh in hope that it will give him the strength necessary to use the Millennium Star. My brother must not succeed or the whole world will be in jeopardy. Only the true pharaoh can stop him."

Marik makes the first move by placing a card face down and summoning Humanoid Slime, a feeble creature with 800 attack points. Yami figured that Marik was luring him into attacking by playing a weak monster so he could activate his face down card, but Yami wasn't going to fall for it. He played a card face down and summoned Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts in attack mode. Marik made his next move by summoning a reptile called Worm Drake. Next he played Polymerization to merge his monsters together to form Humanoid Worm Drake, a diabolical creature with 2200 attack points. Marik was one of the many people in the world who believed that rules were made to be broken. He activated his hidden card Quick Attack, allowing his fusion monster to attack immediately. But Yami was a step ahead of Marik this time. He activated his face down card De-Fusion, turning Marik's one monster into two again.

By the way things were going, Yami and Emily were disappointed that Marik wasn't putting up much of a challenge. But Marik was simply toying with his opponent so he could learn his strengths and weaknesses. He would soon unleash the rage of his Egyptian God card. Yami decided to remove Marik's monsters from the field. He summoned Beta the Magnet Warrior to join Gazelle in attacking Humanoid Slime and Worm Drake and dealing 1000 points of damage to Marik's life points.

Marik had enough and decided to make the duel interesting by summoning a plasma being named Revival Jam. It looked pretty feeble, but Emily learned to remember that things aren't always what they appear to be. Surely this monster was stronger than it looked. Next, Marik played a magic card called Jam Breeding Machine, a card capable of creating slime tokens. It was plain to see that Marik was going to create enough slime tokens to sacrifice in order to summon his Egyptian God card.

Yami saw that now was the perfect time to summon a powerful beast. He had to eliminate the rest of Marik's life points before he could summon his Egyptian God card. He sacrificed his two monsters to summon Buster Blader, a mighty warrior with 2600 attack points. With a swing of his mighty sword, the warrior splattered Revival Jam, but the plasma monster quickly regenerated after the attack. Marik wasn't joking when he said his monster would provide the perfect defense. Not even the mightiest blade or most powerful spell could melt the plasma being. Marik made his move by creating the first slime token and playing a card face down.

The slime tokens didn't provide the same defensive capabilities Revival Jam did. They had 500 attack points and were vulnerable to attack. A swing from Buster Blader's sword would deal 2100 points of damage to Marik's life points. But Marik knew Yami would attempt to attack his slime tokens in a desperate attempt to stop his plan from succeeding. So he revealed his hidden trap Jam Defender. Now Revival Jam would shield Marik's monsters from all attacks and continue to reform itself on the field. Marik's monsters and life points had now become untouchable. But he wasn't willing to take any chances after witnessing all of Yami's duels through the eyes of his previous mind slaves. After the second slime token appeared, Marik trapped Yami in a magic prison known as Nightmare's Steelcage, preventing him from attacking and protecting him from enemy attacks for two turns.

But Yami wouldn't give in. "As long as I believe in the Heart of the Cards, I won't lose."

"Your misguided faith is weak compared to the overwhelming power of my Egyptian God card, but you'll soon witness that firsthand once I summon it," said Marik. "History may be on your side, but destiny is on my side as I move one step closer to obtaining your Puzzle. You're not even worthy of your powers. For as long as I can remember, I was taught to obey the ancient scriptures and protect the pharaoh's tomb until his return. Now I realize that your time as pharaoh has expired and I must take your place. And your Puzzle is the key to your power."

Yami, Yugi, and Emily all wished that they knew more about what happened in the ancient past. But there was no time to worry about that right now. Their main priority was not letting Marik win this duel. But there was nothing Yami could do except draw his card and end his turn. The third and final slime token appeared. Now the stage was set as the sky became dark with clouds and lightning flashed all around the dueling field.

"Prepare to experience an ancient force like no other as I sacrifice my Breeding Machine and slime tokens to summon the beast of your demise!" Marik cried. "A creature whose power is absolutely limitless. Meet your maker, Pharaoh, and the last monster you'll ever see. Slifer the Sky Dragon!" And a great red Dragon appeared on the field. "You're finished! Prepare to feel his wrath!"

Emily fell back and cowered as she saw the divine Dragon appear. Even Yami stared in fear. "How can I stop it?" and Slifer roared at them.

"You're staring into the eyes of one of the most feared creatures in all of Duel Monsters," said Marik. "The Egyptian God monster cannot be defeated."

But Yami thought differently. "Every monster has a weakness, Marik, and I'll find Slifer's."

"You're in no position to be making threats," Marik was telling him. "All you can do is watch my Egyptian God card grow stronger."

"Stronger?" Emily echoed. "But how?"

"The number of cards I hold in my hand determines Slifer's attack points," Marik explained. "Right now, I hold two, giving him 2000 attack points." But that wouldn't last. Marik played Pot of Greed to draw two cards from his deck. He lost one card, but gained two. Now Slifer had 3000 attack points. But Emily didn't think Slifer's power wouldn't be as limitless as Marik was claiming. In Duel Monsters, players were limited to holding six cards in their hands. Still, she wasn't going to make any assumptions. She didn't know more about the Egyptian Gods than Marik did and was worried Slifer would have many dangerous abilities. Not even Yami had any understanding of the destructive powers an Egyptian God monster held because he had no memories of the days they devastated the world. He was just going to have to play by the rules of today.

Slifer had 3000 attack points, but Buster Blader receives 500 attack points for every dragon-type monster on the field. So right now, the warrior was 100 points stronger than Slifer. But it wouldn't last. Slifer would gain another 1000 attack points next turn. But Yami trusted in his deck. He looked at his hand and saw a few cards that might be able to help him.

Marik continued to goad Yami. "You had your chance to be pharaoh. But now it's time to let me take over. But your daughter can join me and become my queen."

"Not a chance, Marik," said Emily. "It's our destiny to stop you together." The thought of Marik making her his queen actually disgusted her. She decided she would rather be a princess in a world that still shines with hope than become a queen ruling a world plagued by evil. Yami made his move by placing two cards face down and summoning Kuriboh in defense mode. Now the Nightmare's Steelcage was disappearing and Yami was open for an attack.

"Prepare to feel the wrath of an Egyptian God card," said Marik. "You're about to experience a force so mighty, it nearly destroyed the world!" Marik drew his card and Slifer gained 1000 more attack points, but as the Sky Dragon attacked, Yami revealed one of his hidden cards. It was Lightforce Sword, dropping Slifer's attack points back down to 3000. But as Buster Blader raised his sword, Revival Jam stepped in to protect the Sky Dragon. Jam Defender was still in play and the plasma monster would continue to intercept all of Yami's attacks. Marik played a magic card called Card of Safe Return, a card that allowed him to draw three cards every time a monster would reappear on the field. He drew his three cards and his Sky Dragon now had 5000 attack points. His Thunderforce attack destroyed Buster Blader and dropped Yami's life points down to 2100.

Yami drew his card. It was a trap called Magic Cylinder, but it had to be combined with a spellcaster in order to work. Luckily, Yami was holding Dark Magician Girl in his hand. So he summoned her by sacrificing Kuriboh. But doing so activated Slifer's special ability. Now any new monster summoned to the field would have 2000 points blasted depending on what mode it was in. Since Dark Magician Girl only had 1700 defense points, Slifer's Lightning Blast would destroy her. But Yami saved her just in time by playing Magical Hats. And not only was Dark Magician Girl hiding under one of the Hats, but she was also preparing a counter attack as Yami played two cards under the Hats.

Marik was ready to make his Sky Dragon's power limitless. He played a magic card called Infinite Cards, allowing him to exceed the limit of holding six cards in his hand. Next, Slifer launched his Thunderforce on the Magical Hat on the right end. It was the Hat that concealed Dark Magician Girl, but as the Sky Dragon attacked, the Thunderforce was being drawn in by the Magic Cylinder. Also, Yami's second trap Spellbinding Circle was activated and lowered Slifer's attack points by 700. The Magic Cylinder redirected the Sky Dragon's attack, but once again, Revival Jam took the blow and quickly recovered, allowing Marik to draw three new cards. And since Spellbinding Circle only lasted for one turn, Slifer was free and got back his attack points plus another 1000 attack points as Marik began his turn. With 9000 attack points, the Sky Dragon was unstoppable and Dark Magician Girl was destroyed.

"Behold the ultimate five card combination that makes me unbeatable," said Marik. "I've created a strategy that cannot be defeated. My Egyptian God card will continue to grow stronger and your attacks are completely useless."

Yami fell to his knees and placed his hands on the ground. "No, I can't let Marik win my Puzzle."

Emily just stared at the Sky Dragon in fear. Just when she thought Yami was turning things around, she remembered the cards Marik had in play. "It can't end like this," she whimpered.

Just then, Kaiba showed up. "Get on your feet, you fools. Since when do you bow to your rivals?"

Yami faced him and replied, "Never."

"Then both of you get up and stop embarrassing yourselves so you can defeat this nobody and relieve him of his Egyptian God card. And do it now. Don't let him win, Yugi. You can defeat Slifer the Sky Dragon. Just figure out its weakness," he was saying in his own way of encouragement. "Now get up and keep fighting. Prove to me that you can take down his Egyptian God card, Yugi."

It wasn't like Kaiba to encourage others. But it was enough to give Yami the strength he needed to keep going. He gets back on his feet and promises Kaiba, "I assure you I will defeat him."

Marik scoffed. "My Egyptian God card is unstoppable." He turns his attention to Kaiba and tells him. "And you're my next victim. Once I defeat Yugi, I'll set my sights on your Egyptian God card."

"Save your breath," said Kaiba. "Your empty threats don't scare me."

Yami had to make every move count. Slifer now had 10000 attack points now that the effects of Lightforce Sword wore off and he couldn't afford to make any mistakes. He played a card face down and summoned Big Shield Gardna in defense mode. Of course, the monster lost 2000 defense points thanks to Slifer's Lightning Blast, but still had 600 points.

As Marik drew his card and Slifer's attack points increased, the Sky Dragon now had 11000 attack points and destroyed Yami's last defense. _This is insane!_ Emily thought _. As long as Infinite Cards is in play, there's no limit to the growth of Slifer's strength. It'll continue to grow stronger as Marik continues to draw cards_. Her eyes widened. _That's it! But I can't tell Yami. He's got to figure it out on his own. I just hope he'll be able to figure it out before it's too late._

Kaiba was wondering the same thing as he saw Slifer continuing to grow in attack points. _Slifer the Sky Dragon has one fatal flaw. Now let's see if Yugi is duelist enough to figure it out._

And Yami did know what to do. "I will make Slifer destroy itself!"

A smile appeared on Emily's face. _He figured it out!_

 _About time_ , Kaiba wondered.

"What are you talking about?" Marik asked.

Yami sighed. "It's all a matter of common sense. If my monsters are too weak to destroy Slifer, then I must use your Egyptian God card against itself."

"Haven't you realized by now that an Egyptian God card can't be controlled? It's too powerful."

"We're very much aware, Marik," said Emily. "But that's not what we intend to do. Maybe you don't know everything about the Egyptian Gods as much as you think you do."

"How dare you deny my wisdom of the ancient ways," Marik scolded. "I know all!"

"We'll see how much you know," Yami said, drawing his card. First he played Monster Reborn to bring back Buster Blader from the card graveyard. To everyone's surprise, it came back in attack mode. This seemed to do more good for Marik as he drew three cards and Slifer blasted 2000 attack points, leaving the warrior with 1100 attack points remaining. But it was enough to make this last move count. Yami ordered Buster Blader to attack, drawing Revival Jam out to defend. As the plasma monster began reforming itself, Yami played Brain Control to use Revival Jam to his advantage. Now that Revival Jam reappeared on Yami's side of the field, Slifer was forced to launch its Lightning Blast and since Revival Jam couldn't be destroyed, Slifer would continue to attack every time it reformed itself. Not to mention Marik would be forced to continue drawing cards from his deck.

 _This can't be!_ Marik thought. _Whenever Revival Jam reappears on the field, Slifer the Sky Dragon is forced to attack it. And since Yami controls Revival Jam, it will revive itself on his side of the field, which makes me draw three new cards. Then my Dragon will attack again! Each event triggers the next in a never ending cycle! My Egyptian God card will continue to grow stronger as I draw cards in each cycle, but it doesn't matter because I'm trapped!_ "Ahh! There's no way out!"

"That's right, Marik," said Emily. "And when you run out of cards to draw, you will automatically lose the duel."

Yami agreed. "As powerful as your Egyptian God card may be, no monster is without weakness and Slifer's weakness rests in its second mouth. I've turned your Egyptian God card against you, causing you to use up every card in your deck. That means I win. It's over."

Marik couldn't believe he lost control of his own monster and the monster itself. "You'll pay, Yami," he vowed. "You may have defeated Slifer the Sky Dragon, but I hold another Egyptian God card; a much more powerful one. So savor this victory while you can because it will be your last."

Mokuba went down to the arena and took Slifer the Sky Dragon and a locator card from Strings. "This card is awesome. I wish Seto and I could keep it, but as Battle City commissioner, I have to hand the card over to you, Yugi, and you earned it. But don't get too attached to it, because my brother intends to win it from you."

"Thank you, Mokuba." Emily said.

"I must be careful," Yami said, looking at the card.

Kaiba walked up to Yami and Emily. "Congratulations on figuring out how to defeat Slifer the Sky Dragon, Yugi. But it's a shame you won't be having it for long. You and I are going to duel for it right now. Then when I defeat you, Slifer will be in my deck where it belongs. You see, I already possess another Egyptian God card and I intend to win the other two. Once I win Slifer from you and obtain the last one, I'll be the number one duelist in the world."

Marik laughed and began speaking through Strings once again. "Silly fools."

Emily growled. "We've had enough of your tricks, Marik! It's time for you to show yourself!"

"Not to worry, Princess. You'll meet me sooner than you think. I'm on my way to Battle City as we speak. Once I arrive, the next phase of my plan will begin. I assure you the power of the pharaoh and the magic of the Millennium Star will be mine. My loyal mind slaves are preparing for my arrival right now."

"Where are they?" Yami demanded to know.

"I have Rare Hunters everywhere in Battle City," Marik answered. "And I can see all. I see a young princess wielding a powerful gift. I see a Millennium Puzzle that will be mine. I see a defenseless city waiting to be conquered. And I see potential mind slaves in every crowd. I'm always searching for new servants to add to my army of Rare Hunters. I wonder who'll be next." Then he began looking through the eyes of his Rare Hunters. "So tell me, Pharaoh and Princess. Which of your friends would be the perfect mind slave? Tea or Joey perhaps?"

"You leave them alone!" Emily shouted.

Marik chuckled. "Well, it appears I've touched your sensitive side, haven't I, Princess? Perhaps I can use your friends to get what I want from you and your father; namely your Puzzle and Star and the Egyptian God cards."

"We're warning you," Yami growled, "leave our friends out of this!"

"Or else what?" Marik asked. "Your friends are meaningless to me and besides, I have nothing to lose and the whole world to gain!"

"Do not test us," Emily warned. "We're the ones you want, so leave our friends alone! They did nothing to you, so you settle your score with us!"

"Just as my Dragon's one weakness destroyed it, your loyalty to your friends will destroy you," Marik said and dispatched his mind slave.

"Let's go, Yami," said Emily. "Everyone's in danger."

But Kaiba stopped them. "Get back here right now!"

Yami stopped. "Our duel will have to wait, Kaiba. You heard Emily. Our friends are in danger and their safety is more important to us right now." And they began running again. They had to find their friends before Marik and his mind slaves could.


	17. A Dangerous Encounter

A Dangerous Encounter

Yami and Emily continued to run through the streets in search of Joey, Tristan, and Tea until their path was blocked by two Rare Hunters named Lumis and Umbra. "Going somewhere?" Lumis asked. "If you want to rescue your friends, you'll have to get past us first."

"And that's no easy task," said Umbra.

Emily was beginning to lose her patience. "Listen carefully," she started softly, "We will get past you!" she finished with her voice raised.

"Sorry, but we have strict orders from Master Marik," Umbra was telling her. "The only way to get by us is for your boyfriend to defeat the both of us." Lumis and Umbra decided who would face Yami first by playing Rochambeau. Just then, Kaiba and Mokuba came by. Kaiba insisted it would be a double battle. This was a double header for the Rare Hunters. Defeating Kaiba and Yami meant earning both of their Egyptian God cards.

"Please be careful, Kaiba," warned Emily. "Rare Hunters can be very cunning."

"I don't need advice from you, Briar. These fools have no idea who they're dealing with."

"It'll be okay, Emily," said Mokuba. "Yugi and my brother can take these guys." Trusting his words, Emily joins Mokuba and watches the duel from the sidelines. She was still worried. Kaiba was a good duelist, but she wondered how he would fare against a Rare Hunter.

Kaiba made the first move by playing Pot of Greed to draw to cards from his deck. After that, he summoned Lord of Dragons in attack mode. Next, he played two Flutes of Summoning Dragon and brought four Dragons into play. There was Hyozanryu, a Dragon made of adamant and of course, his three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. As much as Kaiba would love to unleash his dragon flare, he wasn't permitted to attack on his first turn, but he had the patience. Lumis made his move by playing a monster in defense mode. It was Yami's turn. He began by placing two cards face down.

"Is that the best you can do," asked Kaiba. "If so, then I can't wait to battle you myself."

"Let's just end this," Yami told him.

"Very well, and then you and I can have our duel."

"First, Emily and I need to make sure our friends are safe." Yami ended his turn by summoning Kuriboh in defense mode.

Umbra took his turn by playing a monster in defense mode and a card face down. Now that all players had taken their first turn, Kaiba was free to attack. He was ready to end this duel. He sacrificed his Blue-Eyes White Dragons and summoned Obelisk the Tormentor. Everyone stared at the divine monster in awe. To raise his monster's strength, Kaiba offered his Lord of Dragons and Hyozanryu. It was powerful enough to not only destroy their monsters, but to also take out their life points. Not even Umbra's hidden trap could stop Obelisk. Kaiba laughed triumphantly. "Victory is ours! You two are finished!"

"We appreciate your assistance, Kaiba," said Yami. "Now Emily and I can find our friends."

Emily got up and ran towards the Rare Hunters. They were still shaken from the attack, but she didn't care. She grabbed Lumis by the neckpiece of his cloak. "Now tell us where our friends are," she demanded, but Lumis just groaned. Emily growled and gently set him down.

"Hey, Yugi," Kaiba called, "don't think about leaving without your prize. Here, your locator card."

Yami took the card. "We have to find our friends."

"Yugi," Kaiba said again.

Emily turned back. "Did you not hear us? We told you, our friends are in danger and need our help! You can't have your duel now!"

Kaiba was aware of the situation. "I know. So I'll help you find your pals. And then I will get my duel." He turned to his little brother and told him to contact headquarters and use the satellite system to trace Joey's location by his duel disk. He was certain the others would be with him. And together, they went on their way to find everybody.

Marik was riding his motorcycle as he was making his way through Battle City. His Millennium Rod was emanating a little bit of its magic, making it slightly detectable.

The Cobalt Star shard around Max's neck began glowing. "Do you feel that?" Max asked her partner. "It's the same dark energy that was controlling Bandit Keith."

"Yes," the spirit of the Millennium Ring. "I also sense another Millennium Item approaching."

The evil spirits didn't have time to decide plotting an attack. Joey, Tristan, Tea, and Solomon all showed up. "What's up, guys?" Tristan asked. "Checking out some duels?"

The evil spirits eased their control a little bit to convince everyone that they were talking to their friends. "Oh, hey, guys," Max greeted. "How's the tournament progressing for you so far, Joey?"

"Great. I already scored four locator cards. All I need are two more and I'll enter the finals."

"Well then, you'd better catch up," Max said, showing six locator cards. Everyone was amazed to see that she had already become a finalist. The finals were still a long way, so she decided to take it easy and enjoy the rest of the competition. "By the way, where are Yugi and Emily?"

"We've been looking all over for them," Tea answered. "I bet Yugi's kicking some serious butt."

"Doesn't it bother you, Tea?" Max asked. "Emily's your best friend, but she doesn't let you know where she and Yugi are or what's going on. It shouldn't be fair that she gets to see Yugi in action and you don't."

Tea admitted that she was a little jealous, but Emily did tell her that Yugi had been facing some dangerous opponents lately. Emily was just one of those kinds of people who believed that the less you know, then the better off you'll be. But she was doing it because she didn't want to endanger her friends after hearing Tea admit how scared she was about the thought of Yugi competing and having to face the return of an ancient evil. That was why Tea decided not to let it bother her.

Joey spoke up and asked, "Can you imagine it, me and Yugi dueling in the finals together in the rematch of the century?"

Max chuckled. "I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself."

Tea called for everyone's attention. There was a poster announcing a show at the Domino aquarium with a special guest. What surprised them was that Mako Tsunami was that special guest. Joey decided to challenge Mako to a duel and headed to the aquarium.

While they all started heading out, the evil spirits came back in control. _Play your games while we prepare to rule the world_ , they warned. They decided to locate the Millennium Item they were sensing earlier.

As the spirits felt the force becoming stronger, they stopped in an alley. Marik was riding his motorcycle and stopped before he could run Max and Bakura over. He got up and removed his helmet. "You two are in my way."

"You have something we seek," the evil spirits said, showing him their treasures.

Marik's eyes widened. "The Millennium Ring and a shard of the Cobalt Star."

The evil Max crossed her arms. "You're the dark force whose presence we've been sensing. Give us your Millennium Item and you may pass."

"I see that the two of you are somewhat familiar with the ancient ways," said Marik. "Why do you want my Item?"

"If you must know," the evil Bakura was saying, "we are collectors. And once we obtain the seven Millennium Items, we shall obtain a power strong enough to rule the entire world."

"So we shall ask you once again to hand over your Millennium Rod," his partner demanded.

 _Interesting,_ Marik thought to himself. _Whoever these people are, they have some knowledge of the ancient scriptures. Fortunately for me, they don't know everything. For he who possesses the boundless energies of the pharaoh will control a power stronger than the seven Millennium Items._ "My name is Marik," he finally said.

"We don't care," said the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard.

"What if I told the both of you that I possessed some knowledge of certain secrets? You can have my Millennium Rod if you want. But before I hand it over to you, the both of you must do something for me in exchange. You see, I am somewhat of a collector myself. And once I possess what I desire, the Millennium Rod will mean absolutely nothing to me."

Max tightened her eyes. "Why should we help? We can take your Millennium Item by force as we've done to others in the past."

But her partner held up his hand and suggested to hear Marik out. Clearly he seemed more interested than she was. "Go on."

"I know the whereabouts of several other Millennium Items," Marik was saying, "including the Necklace worn by my sister."

The spirit of the Millennium Ring grinned. "Perhaps there is a way we can work together and help each other to get what we want."

His partner couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What? But why should we cooperate with him?"

"Trust me," he said softly.

Marik grinned back. "You've made a wise choice. With our combined power, no one in the entire world will be able to stop us!"


	18. Denizens of the Deep

Denizens of the Deep

They came to the aquarium and found Mako giving the crowd a show with the whale. He was in the competition, but stopped for a lunch break, ignorant of the fact that he was stealing the whale's meal. But the manager decided to let it slide for Mako. She was running a high fever and was too sick to work with the whale. So Mako volunteered to work for her.

Mako hadn't seen his friends since Duelist Kingdom and was happy that they were all here. He accepted Joey's challenge and both duelists agreed to put up two locator cards. Whoever would win this match would go to the finals.

Joey decided to go first. When he drew his card, he looked at it in disappointment. It was the Parasite card he forgot to get rid of after his duel with Weevil. But he figured he could use it to his advantage, so he played it face down. Mako summoned Flying Fish and declared an attack. Joey tried to use the Parasite Paracide to infect Mako's monster, but the Flying Fish was too strong and destroyed it. The Fish had 800 attack points while the Parasite had 500. But the Parasite was played in defense mode, so Joey didn't lose any life points. It was pretty embarrassing of Joey to play a card he didn't know how to use. He summoned another monster in defense mode. Mako decided not to attack this turn. Instead, he played a card face down.

Joey sacrificed his monster and summoned Garoozis. Mako activated his trap Torrential Tribute to wash the reptile away and send it to the graveyard. After that, Mako's Flying Fish attacked Joey directly. After that, he played a card face down. He was really going to give it his all and show no mercy. It had always been that way for him since he began searching for his lost father. He duels with the same determination he shows whenever he faces the sea. Joey felt his heart going out to Mako. They each had a loved one who inspired them and gave them strength in spirit. With that being said, they decided to continue the duel with honor and give it their all.

Joey summoned Alligator's Sword and played two cards face down. Mako sacrificed his Flying Fish and summoned Amphibian Beast. It was about to attack Alligator's Sword with its Sea Claw until Joey played Fairy Box. It looked like one of those arcade games as Joey's reptile would stick its head out of one hole and another. It was clever, but Mako knew that Alligator's Sword couldn't breathe underwater, so he played the field spell Umi to raise the tides and turn the field into an ocean. Alligator's Sword came up for air, but as Amphibian Beast attacked, Joey revealed his second hidden card Skull Dice. The roll resulted in a four and Amphibian Beast was defeated. Now the score was nearly tied with Joey standing at 3200 life points and Mako standing with 3300.

Joey played Baby Dragon in attack mode and merged it together with Alligator's Sword to form Alligator's Sword Dragon, a monster with 1700 attack points. Joey remembered that fusion monsters had to wait one turn before attacking, so he ended his turn. Mako played a monster face down. Because it was underwater, Joey couldn't tell what kind of monster it was or if it was in attack or defense mode. The benefit of the monster being in the water allowed Joey to land a direct attack on Mako's life points and bring him down to 1600 points remaining.

If there was anything Mako learned about the sea, it was to never underestimate its strength. Just as a rose has its thorns, what may look like a beautiful scenery can become a dangerous battlefield. And when out in the sea, there's no telling what may attack or when it'll strike. Mako played another mystery card. Joey decided to attack Mako directly again. He would win if he attacked successfully, but Mako wasn't going to give him the opportunity. He played his trap card Tornado Wall, creating pillars from the water on the playing field and blocking all enemy attacks. Joey wasn't sure what to do. As long as Tornado Wall was in play, Mako's life points were untouchable. But if he stopped the effects of the trap and covered the playing field in water again, Joey would have to contend with all of his hidden monsters. He decided to take his chances and go back in the water. Mako sacrificed his hidden monster and summoned a stronger one called Legendary Fisherman. It was a man riding on a shark and had 1850 attack points. And as long as the field was covered in ocean water, magic cards had no effect against it. The Fisherman attacked Alligator's Sword Dragon and dealt 50 points of damage to Joey.

To protect his life points, Joey played a monster in defense mode. The Legendary Fisherman launched a surprise attack from underwater and pierced Little-Winguard with his harpoon. It was one of the many cards Mako was proud to own. To Mako, the Legendary Fisherman represented his father. It was actually a gift from him long ago. Mako received it in a letter that told him to never give up and keep having courage. And Mako wouldn't give up on searching for his father. He would be strong for the both of them.

As much as Joey admired Mako's determination and spirit, he still decided he would be the one to win the duel. So he played a monster in defense mode and a card face down. Mako was ready to make the biggest splash in the duel. He played Fortress Whale's Oath, a ritual card that allowed him to summon a mighty beast known as Fortress Whale for the sacrifice of two monsters in play or in his hand. It was a whale of a Duel Monster and had 2350 attack points. But the ocean gave it a 200 point boost.

In the alleys of Domino city, Marik, Max, and Bakura continued to talk about their plans. Max still didn't like the idea of cooperating with Marik and the last time Bakura asked her to trust him, it didn't work out well. She had plenty of ideas of her own, but she continued to put up with her partner because she knew he could be pretty hopeless without her. "What do we need to do for you in order to gain the Millennium Items," she asked Marik.

"First answer me this: how strong are your dueling skills?"

"They're very strong," the spirit of the Millennium Ring answered. "My partner and I have played several Shadow Games throughout history."

"We've been to the Shadow Realm and back, enduring and surviving all of its evil ways," said the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard. "Surprised?"

"I'm not," Marik answered. "It all makes sense now."

"We've returned for the sole purpose of obtaining the powers of the Great Goddess Millennia through her sacred treasures," said the evil Bakura.

"Now answer our question," his partner demanded. "What do you want from us?"

"I'm going to need the both of you to duel on my behalf," Marik told her. "Then I'll deliver the Items to you."

"Max and I will duel whomever you wish. Provided we receive our payment."

"But what do you expect to gain from us should we succeed?" Max asked.

"I told you," Marik was saying. "I'm a collector, just like the both of you. Win me the cards I want and the Items are yours."

Bakura immediately agreed. "Very well, but there is another thought to consider."

Marik had a feeling he knew where Max and Bakura were going. "Yes, I should mention this. I'm also looking for a girl named Emily."

"The princess who holds the Millennium Star," said the spirit of the Ring. "I suppose you want her power as well."

"What makes you think we can cooperate with you on something like this," asked Max. "I have seen your thoughts and I know your ideals. There's no point in lying to us by saying you don't want the Millennium Star. But nonetheless, we shall help you. But make no mistake. We still have our own priorities to consider."

Marik growled. "I won't try to do anything to betray you two," he promised. "I just don't want to take my chances against the princess. The powers of the Millennium Star are too great."

The spirit of the Cobalt Star shard grinned. "All the more reason we should work together then." Then the deal was made and the trio began putting their plan into motion.

Back at the aquarium, Mako demonstrated the awesome power of his two rarest and most powerful monsters. The Legendary Fisherman harpooned Joey's hidden monster Rocket Warrior and Fortress Whale attacked Joey directly, leaving him with 500 life points remaining. Joey wasn't sure what to do. There wasn't a card powerful enough in his deck to destroy the Fortress Whale and the Legendary Fisherman was still hidden underwater. Looking down at the field, Joey saw two shadows swimming in the water. Just then, the aquarium's whale leaped in play. Now Joey knew where the Legendary Fisherman was hiding and how to draw him out. He played two cards face down and summoned Panther Warrior. But with no monsters to sacrifice, his feline couldn't attack, so he had to end his turn.

Mako was about to attack with his Fortress Whale, but Joey activated his trap Magical Arm Shield and used it to fish his Legendary Fisherman out of the water and take the attack, dropping Mako's life points to 900. Mako was devastated. To him, attacking his own card was like crushing his inspiration. But Joey reminded Mako that he never needed that Duel Monster card to inspire him and give him strength and that he always had it in his heart. Mako's memories of his father will always be in his heart and he'll continue to inspire him in spirit. Joey would know because Serenity would continue to inspire him. Mako was having a hard time taking in all that Joey was trying to tell him. He declared his Fortress Whale to attack. But Joey was ready. He activated his second trap Kunai with Chain, giving Panther Warrior 500 attack points. Joey wasn't done yet. He activated his last hidden card, Lightning Blade, giving Panther Warrior 800 more attack points and destroying Fortress Whale. Now Mako was down to his last 150 points.

"Any last words?" Joey asked.

"Yes, six: this duel is not over yet," Mako answered. He played a magic card called Return of the Doomed to bring back one of his monsters and hide it underwater. Joey wasn't sure if it was his Whale or Fisherman. He drew his card. It was Giant Trunade, a magic card that would unleash a storm and send all magic and trap cards back to the players' hands. It would drain the ocean and draw Mako's monster out into the open.

"What on Earth are you waiting for?" Mako asked with his voice raised. "Hurry up and make your move so my creature can strike and end this duel!" And Joey did make his move. He played Giant Trunade to drain the sea, revealing Mako's Legendary Fisherman. Tears fell from Mako's eyes and flowed down his cheeks. "You've exposed my monster," he said sadly. "It's all over now. Just finish him off."

"It's been an honor to duel you," Joey said sincerely. He played Scapegoat and sacrificed one of his lamb tokens, allowing Panther Warrior to attack and ending the duel. "Are you all right, Mako?"

Mako rubbed his eyes and wiped his tears away. His sadness quickly turned into joy as he smiled and replied, "Yes, that was an excellent duel! Congratulations!" Then they both walked to the center of the arena. "Here, my two locator cards and my two rarest cards," he said, presenting Fortress Whale and Legendary Fisherman.

"You don't need to give me your Fisherman," Joey said. The rules never said the loser had to give up more than one of his rarest cards.

But Mako insisted. "Yes, I do. You earned it. Besides, you were right. I don't need that card to remember my dad. His courage and support are always with me inside my heart."

Joey acknowledged Mako's words and accepted the card. "Don't worry. I'll treat it with respect."

Mako held out his arm and he and Joey grasped hands. "You'd better! And best of luck in the finals!"

"You're all right, Mako," Joey returned. The whale leaped in the air as if it was congratulating both duelists and telling them what a wonderful show they put on.

Out in the city, Kaiba finally got word on where Joey was located and was leading Yami and Emily to the aquarium. "My satellite tracking system found your friends, you guys."

"Well then, where are they," inquired Yami.

"Relax, I'll tell you exactly what you want to know. That is, if you'll agree to duel me as soon as we find them."

That was the last straw for Emily. She stopped walking and raised her voice. "God bless it, Kaiba, this is not a game! Don't you understand our friends are in jeopardy? A madman is after them and they need our help." She took a deep breath and continued softly, "Besides, Yugi already accepted your challenge and you will get your duel eventually. Just until we know our friends are safe."

Kaiba stopped and looked back at Emily. He knew that eventually, he would find a way to make her snap. It was actually amusing. But she was right. There was no time for any games. "We'll then, if that's the case, you and your boyfriend had better follow me," was all Kaiba would say to her.

"I only hope we're not too late," Yami said as they continued walking.


	19. Captured!

Captured!

Joey borrowed Tea's cell phone so he could give his sister a call. "I hope you're taking it easy, Sis, 'cause I've got some great news for you."

"You made it to the Battle City finals!"

"How'd you guess? Did Tristan tell you?"

Serenity chuckled. "No, you're a great duelist. I knew all along you would be a finalist. I'm so proud of you!"

"Well, I couldn't have done it without your support," Joey confessed. "If it weren't for you and my buddies cheering me on, there's no way I would have won six locator cards. I just wish you could have seen me in action."

"Maybe I still can," Serenity replied. "The doctor said I could take my bandages off tonight. That means I can get my wish; the first sight I see will be my big brother dueling in the Battle City finals," she said cheerfully.

Joey was delighted to hear that. "That's awesome. Look, I gotta prep for the finals. I'll send one of my friends to pick you up from the hospital." Joey was so excited; he threw Tea's cell phone in the air as he cheered for his sister.

Tea gasped and caught her phone before it could hit the ground. "Easy with the technology, you spaz!" Tea scolded. Surely Joey wouldn't be able to pay her for any damages.

Joey finally settled down and apologized. "Serenity takes her bandages off tonight! She's coming to the finals with us! But I need someone to go pick her up; someone dependable."

Tristan immediately volunteered to go get Serenity and went on his way. Joey still didn't like the thought of his best friend always hanging around his little sister. But he figured it couldn't be helped. Tristan was just being a friend and Joey always thought of him as family.

Then Max's voice gave a horrified cry. Everyone turned and saw her with Bakura and a young man with dark skin and milk blonde hair. It was Marik, but to fool them, he decided to use a different name. "Guys, over her," she called. "We need help!"

Joey and the others approached her. They saw a cloth around Bakura's arm and noticed it was stained with blood. "Max, what happened?"

"I don't know," she answered, crying. "Bakura and I were walking in the streets minding our own business until suddenly, someone came and attacked us. Bakura tried to protect me and-" her voice began to break as she turned her attention to his wound. "He got hurt!"

Max's friend spoke up. "I was walking down the street until I heard a cry for help. I turned around and I saw Max on the ground with Bakura. I tried to help take care of his injuries. We were on our way to the hospital, but then Max spotted you."

Bakura started stirring. When Joey asked him who did this, he weakly answered, "It happened so quickly, I don't know." He winced and tried to speak. "Max… where's Max?"

"I'm here, Bakura," she said, consoling him. "I'm here!"

Solomon immediately went to the edge of a sidewalk, signaling for a cab to pull over. The driver stopped and opened the door. Max decided to go along. If Bakura were to come back to his senses and notice Max was gone, he would go out of his mind and bring more pain upon himself. She knew it would be wise if she stayed with him to let him know she was all right. Right now, getting to the finals was the least of her concerns. She could never turn her back on a friend who loved her enough to protect her, even if it meant getting cut by a knife.

The cab drove away as Tea and Joey said their prayers to their friends. Then they turned around and finally thanked Max's new friend. Marik shook hands with Joey and Tea and introduced himself as Namu. "I just did what anyone would have done," he said modestly.

Joey notices a duel disk on Marik's left arm. He lies by saying he's not much of a duelist and asks Joey if he's challenging him. "I don't need another challenge," Joey told him. "I already qualify for the finals."

Marik gives an impressed expression and continues to act with modesty. "You must be good. Maybe you could give me a few tips someday." Joey decided to hold him to that. Marik keeps quiet for a second, then says, "I feel as though I've met you before." Joey and Tea nod, saying they feel the same way, but in a good way. Then they bid their new friend goodbye and head on their way.

This was all according to Marik's plan. Joey and Tea had no idea who he was or the trap he had in store for them. He already found his two previous Rare Hunters Lumis and Umbra and helped them to reconstruct their decks for their rematch against Yami and Kaiba. They would keep them occupied while Marik would keep his intentions focused on Yami and Kaiba's friends and families.

Marik called for Joey's attention and ran towards him. "Hey, Joey, I don't mean to be of any inconvenience, but do you think you could give me a few dueling tips now? I'd like to win at least one duel."

Kaiba finally brought Emily and Yami to the aquarium, completely unaware that everyone had just left. "Is this the right place," inquired Emily.

"Joey's duel disk was traced to this location," Kaiba answered. "So yes, your friends are here." Watching Yami and Emily run off, Kaiba wonders to himself, "Why Yugi and Briar care so much about that third-rate duelist Wheeler is beyond me. Soon they'll have bigger problems." But Kaiba wasn't going to leave them alone until he got the duel he wanted, so he decided to wait by the entrance. Yami and Emily walked inside and looked around, but could not find any of their friends. Then Emily saw a pay phone nearby and reached into her purse to take out some change.

Joey was about to give Marik a few tips until they found themselves surrounded by Rare Hunters. Joey managed to take down the ones that tried to grab him and Marik. He was about to take out the guys who were holding Tea until he got knocked off balance. Just then, Tea's cell phone started ringing. "Expecting someone," a Rare Hunter asked. He reached into Tea's purse and pulled out her phone to answer it.

When Emily heard the receiver click, she immediately spoke. "Hello, Tea? Are you there? Hello?"

Tea hears her voice and begs, "Emily, help!"

Sensing that her friend is in distress, she asks, "Tea, where are you? Tea!"

The Rare Hunter dropped the phone to the sidewalk and stomped on it. "Now your friend will never find you," he said coyly.

Emily continued speaking. "Are you there? Tea? Tea!" But she wasn't getting a response. This meant that her friend had been captured. Then she heard nothing but beeping. "Oh, no!" _We knew this was going to happen. Marik found our friends before we could. But where could he have taken them?_ She hung up the phone and walked out of the booth.

"What happened?" Yami asked.

"We're too late," Emily answered. "The Rare Hunters have already found and captured our friends."

Kaiba approached them. "Don't get so emotional, Briar," he said coldly. "It's obvious the Rare Hunters are after Yugi for his Egyptian God card. Your friends are meaningless to them." She couldn't argue there. Marik actually already established that last statement. "Besides, I guarantee you that my satellite will track them down. Wheeler's duel disk sends out a constant signal, so finding your friends will be a simple task. And then your boyfriend and I can have our duel."

When was Kaiba going to stop demanding his duel after he was already promised one? Never, it seemed. But Yami and Emily continued to tell him so. "I'm not going to tell you again, Kaiba, you will get your duel, but not until we know our friends are safe," Emily said again. As irritated as she was about his repetitive demands, Emily just couldn't bring herself to lash out on Kaiba.

Just then, Kaiba was being contacted by his brother. Mokuba alerted him that the signal from Joey's duel disk was being blocked. They encountered this situation before when Yugi's signal was blocked back in Arkana's dueling ring, so Mokuba decided to go back to headquarters and make sure the tech experts would start tracking Joey. He ended the call, but as he was on his way, more Rare Hunters came and surrounded him.

"There's been a minor setback," Kaiba told Yami and Emily plainly, "Either my satellite system has a glitch or these Rare Hunters are smarter than I thought." Sure enough, it was the second opinion, but Emily wasn't about to make any smart remarks. Getting wise with Kaiba was the least of her needs. She and Yami had to find their friends. They wouldn't get anything by sitting around waiting, so they started walking again.

Lumis and Umbra watched them from the roof of a building. "There they are," said Umbra.

"It's time to lure them to the chosen dueling arena. I'll be back." Like an acrobat, Lumis began jumping off of roofs and swinging from poles. He stopped in front of Yami, Emily, and Kaiba.

"Rare Hunter!" Kaiba gasped. He couldn't recognize that it was Lumis because the hood of his cloak was concealing his face.

Yami took a step forward and demanded to know, "What have you done with our friends?"

"That's for us to know," Lumis replied. "And look who else is coming with us."

The trio turned around and saw a helicopter coming their way. Mokuba was dangling from a rope. "Let him go!" Kaiba ordered, hearing his brother cry for help.

"He's fine, for now," Lumis snickered. "But his future's up in the air!"

Emily couldn't stand to see Mokuba in danger like this. She had a feeling she knew what to do to help Mokuba. It meant using her powers in public and now wasn't the time to be taken by that fear. She still didn't know how to fly, but she had to try, so she unfolded her wings.

Yami knew what she was about to do. "Don't do it!"

"I have no choice!" Then she began flapping her wings and got higher above the streets.

Kaiba's eyes widened. "What the hell-?" Even Mokuba couldn't believe what he was seeing.

She made it to the helicopter, but as she was about to free him, more ropes came and trapped her. She tried to break free, but was having a hard time moving around. "Hey, let me go!" she cried, now realizing it was a trap to meant to capture her.

"No, Emily," Yami cried.

Kaiba growled. "If you so much as remove one hair from my brother's head, I promise I'll put you all down and crush you under the weight of the entire Kaiba Corporation!"

Lumis laughed. "Your empty threats will get you nowhere, but there is one way for you to save your brother and the girl. If you ever want to see them again, then meet us at the top of that building," he said, pointing to the nearby building that was fifty stories high. Then the helicopter flew away carrying Emily and Mokuba with it. "And it's not just the girl you have to worry about, Yugi. If you want to see your friends again, then you'll come as well."

"I'm warning you," Yami growled. "Leave them alone!"

"I'll see you both shortly. Remember, meet us at the roof," Lumis said and began making his way to the building where Umbra was waiting.

"It looks like we have no choice," said Kaiba. "Our enemies are one and the same. But make no mistake; I'm in this for Mokuba. When it comes to rescuing your friends, you're on your own."

"Fine, Kaiba," Yami said in agreement.

 _Still,_ Kaiba was wondering, _How the hell did Briar do that? I always knew she was freak, but I didn't think she'd be some kind of mutant freak._ Kaiba wasn't going to spend a lot of time thinking about that. Right now, his first and only concern was rescuing his little brother. Yami would explain what happened, but knowing Kaiba, he wouldn't believe him if he told him.

As promised, Yami and Kaiba met up with Lumis and Umbra and accepted their challenge. Only because they knew it would be the only way for them to rescue their friends and families. But this time, things would be different. It would be a Shadow Game. The roof everyone was standing on was made of glass and it was a divider between the human world and the Shadow Realm thanks to the effects of the magic shadow box displaying their life points. Whoever's life points would hit zero would open the divider and the player would plummet into the Shadow Realm. Marik certainly went through great lengths making sure his enemies would stay out of his way.

The most obvious rule of a double battle is that players must work together as a team. Kaiba would do anything to rescue his little brother, but not if it meant having to rely on someone else's help. Kaiba was confident that he would be able to defeat Lumis and Umbra on his own like he did before, but this time, Lumis and Umbra's decks had been completely reconstructed. Yami knows that the only way he and Kaiba can win is by putting their differences aside and working together, but he continues to be pushed away by Kaiba. Kaiba had his methods, but he would soon have to do things Yami's way for Mokuba's sake. And Yami knows that losing this this duel would mean losing himself and his friends forever. But this was certain: Yami and Kaiba were going to give it their all whether working together or alone.


	20. Setting the Trap

Setting the Trap

"Hey, where are you taking me? Let me go now," Tea said as she was struggling to get away.

"You talk too much," a Rare Hunter complained as he and his partner continued to drag Tea.

"Do you creeps really think you're going to get away with this?"

They opened a door to a storage room and shoved her inside. "Welcome home," said the second Rare Hunter, shutting the door and locking it.

Tea gets up and starts pounding on the door. "Get back here! Let me out of this dump right now! I have friends in high places and you'll be sorry! Come Back!" But she was really just shouting empty threats and knew they wouldn't listen to her. Tea sighs and positions herself next to the empty boxes. "I wonder what those jerks did with Joey. And what do they want with us anyway? It's not like I have anything valuable they can take."

Then she remembered what Yugi and Emily told her when they were at the museum about the return of an ancient evil force threatening to destroy the entire world. "These guys must be part of the threat Yugi and Emily were talking about and who's after them. That's why they attacked us. It all makes sense now. Someone's trying to get to Yugi and Emily and they're doing it by putting their friends in danger." she said, thinking about Max and Bakura and how she and Joey got captured.

Joey, however, was not so fortunate with the accommodations he was given. Exhausted from fighting back, he blacked out after being taken down. Now he was in a storage room tied to a chair as he was recovering from the blows he was dealt. He heard the door open and saw a Rare Hunter coming in. It was Marik's right hand servant Odion. Joey weakly lifted his head and asked, "So what's the deal with all of this?"

"You'll find out what we have planned for you," the Rare Hunter answered. "For now, you are to keep quiet and do what you're told."

"Or else what?" Joey remarked. Despite being bound to a chair and having sore muscles, his spirit was strong. He truly was a fighter not just in physical might, but also in words. He knew how to battle in almost every way. "You Rare Hunters think you're so tough running around in your dark hoods. Why don't you untie me from this chair and I'll show you what being a tough guy's all about, you tattoo faced freak of nature? What's it gonna be? Let me go and I'll go easy on you!"

Odion just lifted his hand and placed it close to Joey's face.

"Hey, keep your grubby paws off of me," Joey growled. "If you touch me, you'll be sorry."

Behind Joey, Marik began using his Millennium Rod and banished his mind to the Shadow Realm. _With Joey Wheeler as my mind slave, little Yugi's Millennium Puzzle and Princess Emily's Millennium Star are as good as mine._

It was a good thing Tristan left when he did because he didn't have to meet the same misfortune as Joey and Tea. The Rare Hunters weren't even out to pursue him. He finally came to the hospital and saw Serenity dressed and ready to go. As promised, he would take her to Battle City. "Hey, Serenity, you ready to go?"

Serenity was excited, but at the same time, she was scared. "Um, Tristan, I'm kind of nervous."

"Why, what's up?"

She places her hand close to her chest and confesses her fear. "What if I take the bandages off and I'm still not able to see?"

"Serenity, of course you'll be able to see," Tristan replied. "The doctor said you would. And besides, all of us will be there to help you. I promise, once we get to Battle City, the first thing you're going to see is your big brother dueling."

Serenity smiles like she had just recovered the hope she lost. "Thanks, Tristan. I needed that." But the truth was the fear would grow stronger along the way. But Serenity knew she wouldn't be alone. She would have the support of all of her friends and her brother. She lets her excitement take over and decides it's time to head out.

In one of the hospital's top floors, Bakura was resting in bed. Max was sitting at his bedside holding his hand, hoping he would come through. A physical recovery is one thing, but recovering from trauma is another; especially for the both of them.

"Max, are you all right?" Solomon asked.

"I'm just fine," she insisted. "But I'm really worried about Bakura. I know he's going to be okay, but I'll never forgive myself for this. I know he was trying to protect me, but still," she stopped herself.

"It's natural of you to feel this way," Solomon told her. "The both of you have been through a lot." He removes the cloth from Bakura's forehead and takes it to cool it down. "It's a good thing Namu found you when you did," he says, turning on the faucet and soaking the cloth. "I just wish we knew who attacked you and why."

"So do I," Max replied. Keeping quiet, the evil spirit chuckles. _You foolish old man._ Her partner opens his eyes and joins her.

In the storage room of the Rare Hunters' hideout, Tea stacked the boxes and began climbing them so she could get out through the window. She was able to reach the opening, but the boxes began to lose their support. Crushed by her weight, the stack comes apart and she falls to the floor. "That was not fun," Tea groans, rubbing herself. "Well, it could've been worse." Then a box falls and lands on her head.

The door opens and Tea hears Emily's voice. "Let him go! You've got me!" Then she and Mokuba are shoved inside and the Rare Hunters lock the door.

Tea removes the box. "Mokuba! Emily!"

"Tea!" Emily cries, running to her friend to hug her. "I was so worried. Are you all right?"

"I'm okay," she answers. "What about you?"

"We are too," said Mokuba.

The three sat down together and started talking about what was going on. "So they're called Rare Hunters?" Tea asks.

Emily nods. "And we were trying to find you guys before they captured us."

"The same thing happened to me and Joey. And I'm beginning to think I know why."

Mokuba immediately speaks up. "So do I. They're using us as bait to lure my brother and Yugi into a trap so they can take their rarest cards. Seto and Yugi both have Egyptian God cards, the most powerful monsters in the game. There's only three and whoever has them all will be unbeatable. We just got caught in the middle."

"Are you sure that's all these guys want?" Tea asked, though she had a feeling they were after so much more.

Nonetheless, Mokuba answered, "Well, it's all I can think of."

This time, Emily spoke up. "I'm afraid they may be after something more." Hearing that, Tea's fears start to become confirmed. Mokuba asks her what she means. "Marik, the leader of the Rare Hunters, is after the Egyptian God cards, but not for the goal of having an indestructible deck. He wants to rule the world. Another reason he's attacking Yugi is because he wants his Millennium Puzzle. He also wants me for my Millennium Star."

"Millennium Star? What's that?" Mokuba asks.

"I'll show you." She places her hand close to her chest and a white light shines, revealing a small white star surrounded by a ring of changing colors. Mokuba and Tea look at it in amazement. "The Millennium Star gives me extraordinary powers. That's how I got my wings and was able to fly to your rescue, Mokuba. But that's not all. I can also perform magic and bend the different elements. I can show you, but I think it's best if I continue explaining."

"Like why this Marik is after you and Yugi for the Millennium Puzzle and the Millennium Star?" Tea asked.

Emily nods and continues explaining. "Marik doesn't have what it takes to use the Millennium Star. It's too powerful and only I can control it. My guess is that Marik thinks he'll be able to use the Millennium Star if he can obtain the power of the pharaoh, which he can only obtain by winning Yugi's Millennium Puzzle in a duel and combining the power of the Egyptian God cards."

Mokuba knew a little bit about the Millennium Items after remembering the power Pegasus displayed with his Millennium Eye. Everything was making more sense for Tea.

"I should also mention this. There's an ancient spirit living within Yugi's Millennium Puzzle. His name is Yami and he always appears to take Yugi's place in every duel. He's the pharaoh I mentioned earlier," Emily pauses for a second and adds, "and he's also my father."

Mokuba's eyes widen. "Your father? So does that mean you're a princess?"

Emily nods. "But I don't know much about our lives in ancient Egypt or any more about our powers. I do know this, however, we can't let Marik succeed in getting what he wants. If he does, the whole world will suffer."

Tea agrees. "We can't let Marik and his Rare Hunters get away with this."

"Don't worry," Mokuba assures them. "As soon as my brother finds us, these jerks are going to pay." But that would be easier said than done. Mokuba had no way of contacting his brother now that the Rare Hunters had taken his laptop. After telling the girls that, he decides that it's best to wait it out.

Looking at the window, Tea figures that maybe they don't have to wait. "Maybe there's a way for you to get to your brother instead." As they ask her what she means, she explains, "Emily, you said you can fly. Can you carry the both of us?"

"I'll try, but the weight might be too much for me." Emily unfolds her wings and tries lifting Tea and Mokuba, but can barely lift herself off the ground. "It's no good. We'll have to think of something else." She notices that some of the boxes are less damaged. "I'll have to carry one of you at a time. In the meantime, we should stack the boxes. It'll make things go a little easier."

"Okay," Tea replies. "You should carry Mokuba first. I'll climb the stack and when you're ready, you can help me."

Emily nods and they all get to work. She carries Mokuba in her arms and lifts him to the window. "Thanks, Emily," he says, climbing out.

Tea hears sinister laughter and warns them. "Hurry up, someone's coming."

"Now's our chance," Mokuba says, freeing himself. "Come on, girls. You can make it."

"I'll stay," Tea tells him. "You and Emily go find Yugi and Kaiba."

Then the door opens and three Rare Hunters charge in. "Stop them, they're escaping!" As they start climbing, the boxes start to become unsteady. Tea falls and lands on the Rare Hunters. Emily flies down to help her.

"Are you girls all right?"

"Don't worry about us," Emily tells Mokuba. "Just get some help!" Mokuba nods and promises to come back. She helps Tea get back on her feet. The Rare Hunters try to get up, but the girls run out of the room.

"Come on," Tea tells Emily. "We've got to find Joey and get out of here." They keep running until they bump into even more Rare Hunters. Emily knows that the only way for her to escape is to use her powers. Her hands catch on fire and she forces them to back away.

"That's enough!" a voice shouts. Odion appears and steps in front of the girls. "You may want to think twice before you decide to cast another spell, Princess. We still have another one of your friends. Trying to escape will only put him in greater danger."

"Where is Joey?" Tea demands.

"He's fine for now. But if you want him to stay safe, you should consider cooperating."

"I don't think it makes much difference," Emily remarked. "You'll probably do away with us immediately once you get what you want. Look, you've already got me. I'll stay, but just let my friends go."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. We need all of you. But the choice is yours, Princess. You can keep fighting your way out and risk the safety of one friend or you can stand down and ensure everyone's safety. What will it be?" Odion asked.

Listening to his words, Emily knows she must choose carefully. She knows the Rare Hunters will keep her and her friends safe if they cooperate and until Marik gets what he wants. Thinking about that, there might be a way for her to save her friends and they can all escape at the right moment. "Okay, then. I give up. You have us."

"What are you doing, Emily?"

"Let's just do as he says for now, Tea. If I continue to do anything rash, I could end up inflicting a lot of pain. I can't take that chance. But I promise, I'll get us all out of this." Tea is still against the idea, but she finds that Emily's right. So she nods in agreement. As the Rare Hunters take them away, the girls lose their grips on each other's hands and are taken their separate ways. Tea is taken to another storage room and Emily is taken outside. As she's dragged away, Emily promises her friend, "I'll save you, Tea! I will!"

Watching from the upper gallery, Marik laughs. _Foolish princess, no one can save you now!_

In the storage room, Tea is bound to a mechanical chair keeping her hands and legs locked in. She sees Joey sitting in front of her and is happy to see him. "Joey! I'm so glad you're all right! You've got to get me out of this chair so we can find Emily and escape from this rat hole!" Not hearing a response, she notices that he looks a little out of it. "Hello, Earth to Joey. Anybody home in there? Are you okay? Joke's over. Come on, Joey, you're freaking me out here."

Joey finally lifts his head and responds. "I am not Joey, you fool," he says, sounding mesmerized.

"That's not funny." Then Tea sees Odion standing behind him. "What did you do to him?" Suddenly, her vision turns black and she meets the same fate as her friend.


	21. The Rescue

The Rescue

Yami and Kaiba succeeded in defeating Lumis and Umbra in their double battle. Though they were able to put their differences aside and work together, Kaiba continued to let his pride get the better of him and boast that in the end, he defeated the Rare Hunters all on his own. It's true that Kaiba managed to summon his Egyptian God card, but it only worked because Yami helped him to achieve that task. It had been that way throughout the entire match, but Kaiba wouldn't admit it and only claim that he was the true winner.

Umbra lost the duel and was sent plummeting to the Shadow Realm, leaving Lumis alone. But he didn't want to meet the same fate as his partner, so he surrendered. The magic shadow box didn't break the surface he was standing on, so he was safe, but not as safe as he thought. Marik began taking over his mind and began speaking directly to Yami and Kaiba.

"So you defeated my Rare Hunters," said Marik. "That's all right. They did their job."

Yami had enough. "What have you done with my friends, Marik?"

Marik said nothing. He just chuckled.

"This Rare Hunter's gone mad," said Kaiba.

"No, he's under the control of a man named Marik."

"That is ridiculous, Yugi."

"Marik's power is very real and he is the one holding Mokuba and my friends captive."

Kaiba found that last statement to be true. "Then tell me where this Marik is hiding."

Marik found Kaiba's temper to be amusing. "Wouldn't you like to know, Kaiba? I'll give you a hint: I'm closer than you think I am. I hope you enjoyed the special duel I set up for you. You fare better than I thought, but don't think that just because you beat my Rare Hunters, you'll be rescuing your friends and families anytime soon. You see, I've been preparing for the next phase of my plan and I've been studying each of your decks carefully through the eyes of my Rare Hunters. But Kaiba, I'm afraid your Egyptian God card pales in comparison to mine. There's no way it can stop me. And once I defeat you, Obelisk the Tormentor will be in my deck.

"And I haven't forgotten you, Yugi. Your Egyptian God card and Millennium Puzzle will be mine as well. And since my Rare Hunters failed, I've come up with the perfect plan to defeat you once and for all. By playing upon your greatest weakness: your loyalty to your pathetic friends. Don't worry, they're safe and sound right here with me. But I don't think they're on your side anymore. It seems their allegiance now lies with me. It's funny how friends are so quick to turn."

Yami couldn't believe what Marik was saying. "I'm the one you want, Marik, so leave my friends alone!"

"Too late. I'm afraid those fools belong to me now, Yugi," Marik said and began laughing.

"Why don't you face me already instead of hide behind your mind slaves, you coward?" Yami demanded. But Marik wouldn't. To him, it was fun to control minds and take advantage of others. And by turning Yami's friends against him, Marik was certain that Yami would surrender everything to him. "Leave my friends alone and tell me where they are," Yami said again.

Kaiba walked up to Lumis. "I don't know who you are, but you'd better tell me where Mokuba is. I've won this battle, now release my little brother just like you said you would."

"You trust me? What a fool."

Yami walked up to Kaiba to stop him. "You're wasting your energy. He obviously has no intention of telling us where to find Mokuba and the others."

"Very perceptive," Marik said as Kaiba released his grip on Lumis. Then he dispatched his servant.

"We're going to have to track them down on our own," said Yami. "Maybe your satellite system can help."

"I agree, but first, this Rare Hunter owes us something." Kaiba reaches into Lumis' pocket and takes out two locator cards. It was still an official Battle City duel and now Kaiba and Yugi had six locator cards, meaning they both qualified for the finals. But there was no time to think about the tournament now. They were about to think of a plan until they saw a helicopter in the air.

"Isn't that one of your helicopters?" Yami asked Kaiba.

Then Mokuba came out as it landed on the roof. "Mokuba escaped!" Kaiba cried. He approached his brother and asked, "Tell me, are you all right?"

He nods and says, "But I had to leave Tea and Emily behind."

"Are Tea and Emily all right?" Yami inquired. "What about Joey and Tristan?"

"Well, I'm not sure about Joey and Tristan, but the girls were doing fine until they helped me escape from the Rare Hunters' hideout. We have to go back for them."

"Get in the chopper now," Kaiba told Yami. "It seems like your friends Tea and Briar saved Mokuba's life and as much as I hate getting involved, I hate owing someone a favor even more."

Yami thanked Kaiba and stepped inside the helicopter after him and Mokuba. As the helicopter took off, Mokuba took out his desktop computer and began using the satellite system to track Joey. It was picking up a weak signal from his duel disk. It was being traced back to where the Rare Hunters were keeping Mokuba and the girls.

"The Rare Hunters' hideout is eleven miles away. We should be able to make it there in about fifteen minutes," said Mokuba. "I know exactly where those creeps are keeping Tea and Emily. Joey should be there too. We'll get them all out of there in no time," he promised.

But that was the least of Kaiba's concerns. His new objective was to find the last Egyptian God card. And based on what he heard, it must be in the possession of this Marik. Knowing that Yami might have some information, Kaiba asks him to fill him in with all the details. "Tell me, Yugi, who exactly is this Marik? You said he leads the Rare Hunters, but what else do you know about him?"

"Well, I've never actually seen his face," Yami answered. "But I know he possesses a Millennium Item very much like my own Millennium Puzzle."

Kaiba moaned. "Those again? Spare me the bogus magic talk, Yugi."

"Kaiba, you have already experienced the great power of a Millennium Item firsthand. Or have you forgotten about Pegasus' Millennium Eye?"

Kaiba did remember, but he didn't believe what happened to be real. "That was just a cheap trick."

"But, Seto, Pegasus did use his Millennium Eye to trap us," Mokuba argued, remembering what happened and how real it felt.

Kaiba still stubbornly refused to accept the facts. "Just drop it, Mokuba."

"You can believe whatever you wish," Yami said, seeing as Kaiba would stubbornly deny what he was hearing. "But I assure you the power of my Millennium Puzzle is no trick." Yami also decides that it's time to tell Kaiba the truth whether or not he wants to hear it. "And I'm not exactly who you think I am, Kaiba. I am actually a five thousand year old spirit who lives within the chambers of the Millennium Puzzle."

"That's a lie," Kaiba barked. "Do you honestly expect me to believe you!?"

"I believe you," Mokuba immediately said. "Emily told me about you. You're the spirit who guides Yugi in his duels. You're Yami."

"And she's right," Yami said. "And at one time, Emily and I lived in Egypt as pharaoh and princess."

"Pharaoh and princess?" Kaiba echoed. His eyes widened and he began reflecting on that night in the museum as Ishizu explained the same thing. "Your royal story's not true. There's just no way. Ishizu told me the same lie at the museum," Kaiba muttered. Then he realized that Yami had to have heard the same story from her. "I spoke to that crazy woman also, Yugi, but unlike you, I didn't buy into her story."

"What Ishizu said was true," Yami argued. "I know what I must do." And he began explaining to Kaiba how he met Marik and heard his plan for the first time. "I'll never forget what he said to me when I first met him; he told me his objective of wanting to gain ultimate power so he can rule the world."

"Emily said the same thing," Mokuba replied. "She said getting the Egyptian God cards and the power of the pharaoh will give Marik the power he needs to do it. That's why he's been out to get you."

"That's ridiculous, Mokuba," said Kaiba. "Yugi, do me a favor and stop corrupting my brother's mind with your lies."

"They're not lies," Yami promised. "And you heard Marik's plan firsthand. Do you remember when he controlled my opponent's mind and used Slifer the Sky Dragon against me?" He asked, talking about when he defeated Strings and heard Marik's plot to attack his friends and begin his plans of domination.

Kaiba laughed at that. "Using magic powers to control people's minds? How can you actually believe in such nonsense?"

"Because Marik's powers are very real and very dangerous," Yami answered. "And now that he's captured my friends, there's no telling what he plans to do with them."

Mokuba spoke up again. "Emily said that Marik wanted her for her own powers too."

"That's right. He wants the Millennium Star. How he plans to take it from Emily is what worries me. Just as he went through great trouble trying to defeat me in a duel, he could have something dangerous in store for her. We said we would work together to stop Marik, but now I have to save her before something terrible happens to her. And the same goes for the rest of our friends. We have to locate every one of them as soon as possible and get them away from that madman before it's too late."

Mokuba checked the map on his computer. "Don't worry, Yami. We're only two miles away from our target."

"Good," Yami told him. "It won't be long before we find Tea, Joey, and Emily."

Kaiba had enough. "I'm tired of hearing about your friends, Yugi. Especially that hack Wheeler and that mutant freak Briar."

Yami wasn't going to stand to hear Kaiba speak ill of his friends. "Joey has become an extremely skilled duelist, Kaiba. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he already qualified for the Battle City finals."

"And Emily's not a mutant, Seto," Mokuba argued. "She really does have magical powers. You saw them for yourself as she tried to help me. And like I said before, her powers make her one of Marik's victims."

"Damn it, Mokuba, that's enough!" Kaiba snapped. "Whatever that was back there, it wasn't magic! I don't know what Briar did, but it was a trick."

Yami could see plainly that Kaiba wasn't going to listen. So he silently vowed, "Not to worry, my friends, I'll set you free."

"Look, the Rare Hunters' hideout is just up ahead," Mokuba said, looking through the window and seeing the pier.

"Begin our descent," Kaiba ordered.

Yami grasped the chain holding his Puzzle and Yugi's voice rang through. _All right, no matter what happens down there, I'm not leaving without my friends. You won't get away with this, Marik!_ "As soon as we land, Mokuba will lead us to my friends. We'll break in and get them out."

Kaiba disagreed. "I brought you here, so I'll be the one who decides what we're going to do. The first task on my agenda is to track down the third Egyptian God card. After that, we'll find your friends."

"Kaiba, Joey and the girls are in great danger and we must rescue them right away!"

Kaiba scoffed. "It's obvious that you and I have very different priorities. So I say we split up and fend for ourselves once we land."

"That's foolish."

"Maybe it is for you, but I've always worked better alone. Haven't you realized by now that teamwork's not my thing? So do me a favor and stay out of my way, Yugi, because we're finished. You want to find your friends, so you can do it yourself. I've done enough charity work for today."

Looking out the window, Mokuba saw someone standing alone out in the pier. "There's someone out there and I think it's Joey."

Yami saw that Mokuba was right. "It _is_ Joey!" Then he began to think something was wrong. "Kaiba, we may be heading into a trap."

But Kaiba wouldn't listen. "I've heard enough out of you for one day."


	22. Trapped!

Trapped!

When the helicopter landed out in the pier, Yami immediately jumped outside and stopped in front of Joey, unaware that he wasn't exactly himself. "Welcome," Joey greeted in an unfriendly manner.

"Joey," Yami cried.

"Not exactly. Joey is not present. He's gone away."

"Marik," Yami growled, realizing that his enemy was speaking through his friend.

"That's correct, and if you want your friends back, you will listen to me."

But Yami tried breaking through to his friend. "Joey, you've got to be in there."

"It's pointless," said Marik. "Now you listen to me. We will be playing by my regulations. I'll release your pathetic friends as soon as I get what I want. Since I want your Millennium Puzzle and Egyptian God card, there's only one way to do this: you and I are going to duel!"

"You're insane!"

"Refuse and your friends are mine forever!"

"Release Joey from your control, Marik," Yami demanded.

Watching what's going on, Mokuba could see that this wasn't Joey. Kaiba actually found it interesting that Joey would turn against his friend and want to duel him. That made Kaiba wonder if Joey was in possession of the third Egyptian God card.

Yami tries again. "Joey, I know you can hear me. Your mind is under Marik's control and you must break free. The same Marik you vowed to help me and Emily stop. Think, Joey, you've got to remember your promise to us when you gave me your Red-Eyes. Marik couldn't defeat me in a duel, so he decided to turn you against me in order to win my Puzzle and Egyptian God card. I know you're in there and I'm going to set you free. Marik's power is feeble compared to the strength of our friendship. Please say something, Joey."

But Joey wouldn't. Marik continued to speak through him. "You'll never set him free unless you follow me, Yami." Then he turned around and began walking. Yami feared that if he followed, he would become a victim to another one of Marik's traps. But if he didn't follow, Joey would remain under Marik's control.

It wasn't just Joey he had to worry about. He heard Tea's voice and realized that Marik was speaking through her as well. "You'd better do as I say, Yami," Marik warned. "This may come as an unpleasant surprise, but like your friend Joey, Tea is also under my control. Surprised?"

Yami growled. "Marik, leave her alone! She's done nothing to you!"

"You're at my mercy now, Yami," Marik tormented. "I've turned your closest friends into your greatest enemies." Tea starts walking on the same path Joey did, causing Yami to follow her.

They come to a dock set up like an arena. The dock is outlined like a square built for both opponents to stand across from each other. Above the dock was an anchor and Yami saw Emily bound to it. "Oh, no! Emily!" he called. "Emily, are you all right?"

Emily stirred and opened her eyes. "Yami?" she asked. "Yami, is that you?"

"Marik, let her go!"

Speaking through Joey, Marik laughed once again. "Don't worry, Yami, Emily is perfectly safe. Because she holds the Millennium Star, I can't possibly control her mind. But I have other plans in store for her. Now then, look around at the field. Should you accept, you'll be battling in a duel like none you've ever experienced for the highest stakes imaginable."

Yami positioned himself on the other side of the dock across from Joey. "If it means saving my friends, then let's duel."

Tea held two shackles in her hands. "Let's begin," Marik said, speaking through her. "Try these on for size." And she locks the shackles around Yami's ankle and Joey's, trapping them to the anchor as well. "Notice that you've become secured to the anchor I've bound Emily to. Thirty seconds after a player's life points reach zero, the anchor will drop to the bottom of the sea!"

Marik begins speaking through Joey now. "Look at the small box at your feet. It displays your life points. It also contains the key to your survival. When one player's life points reach zero, the other player's box will open, revealing a key that will unlock his shackles. And remember, you'll have thirty seconds to free yourself before the anchor drops."

"So the winner of the duel will be dragged to the bottom of the ocean while the winner frees himself at the last minute," Yami said, understanding the matter.

"That's right," said Marik. "Quite ingenious, isn't it?"

"Wait a minute," Emily was saying. "If Yami wins, will you free Joey and Tea from your control?"

"You and Joey will have to be fished out of the sea first," Marik answered. "But before I get to you and Tea, I have something else to mention. In case Yami has any ideas on refusing to duel, he'd better think again. If there's no winner within the hour of the duel, the anchor will automatically drop, taking you and your friends down."

Marik speaks through Tea and positions her to a seat on another dock. It was the same mechanical chair she was bound to back in the warehouse. "But you will lose, Yami, and your Egyptian God card and Millennium Puzzle will be in my hands." He turns his attention to Kaiba and tells him, "And Seto Kaiba, don't think you're merely a spectator in all of this. As soon as I'm through with Yugi and his friends, I'll be setting my sights on your Egyptian God card Obelisk the Tormentor."

Mokuba had enough. "This is getting way out of hand, Seto. You've got to stop it before someone gets hurt. Marik may even try something like this on us next."

But Marik wouldn't allow it. "Sorry, but the duel will proceed as planned. And speaking of plans, here's another piece of my plot." A Rare Hunter drives a crane and hangs a metal crate above Tea.

That was enough to make Emily scream. "Marik, stop this!"

"No. I've taken extra measures to make sure no one interferes. So don't try anything. If anyone attempts to stop me, the crate you see hanging above Tea will fall and crush her. You wouldn't risk your poor friend's life, would you?"

The Rare Hunter holds a remote in his hand and warns them, "Make one false move and I push the button, releasing the crate above the girl."

Marik speaks through Joey once again. "And Princess Emily, I'm aware that you've been discovering many new powers offered by the Millennium Star. I'm sure you know by now that your Millennium Star overpowers my Millennium Rod. Because of that, you can easily stop me and free your friends from my control. Why am I telling you this? I didn't want you to discover that on your own. But now that you know, here's my last warning. If you try to use your magic to free yourself and your friends, I'll immediately drop the anchor and the crate above Tea. So I suggest you control your emotions and allow everything to proceed as I want it to."

"So do you understand, Princess?" Marik asked, speaking through Tea. "Try anything funny, and I'll crush all of you."

Looking at Tea with tears, Emily answers, "I understand, Marik. I'll do as you say. Just please don't hurt my friends!"

"Well then, now that everything seems to be in place and everybody understands the rules, why don't we start the show? Oh, wait, I almost forgot. I wouldn't want Tea to miss all the fun." So Marik frees her from his control.

"Tea!" Emily cried.

Tea starts coming back to her senses. "Where am I? What's going on?" She tries to get up, but sees that she's trapped.

"Now then, there's one last matter," Marik says, speaking through Joey. "Your Egyptian God card is prohibited in this duel. Remove it from your deck so that I may claim it when I win."

Yami agreed to Marik's condition. He had no intention of using Slifer the Sky Dragon anyway. After witnessing its destructive power, Yami knew it was too dangerous. He removed the belt containing the pocket keeping his valuable cards. Then he saw the Red-Eyes Black Dragon and figured it could help him instead. Joey promised that it would come in handy in a tight spot and now was the time. Yami placed Red-Eyes in his deck and tossed his belt aside.

"Very good," said Marik. "Now we can begin this duel."

"Yugi versus Joey?" Tea asks, wondering what's going on.

"Are you ready to duel, Yami?" Marik asked.

"I am," he answered.

"Prepare to lose, fool!"


	23. Friends in Need

Friends in Need

Yami made the first move in the duel and the clock on the anchor began the countdown. He didn't want to hurt Joey, but he had to find a way to stop the duel. The anchor would take two or all of them down with it. Yami summoned Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts in defense mode. Marik destroyed Gazelle by playing a magic card called Raigeki. To complete his move, Marik summoned Alligator's Sword and dealt 1500 points of damage to Yami's life points.

Marik laughed. "Surrender yet or do you want more? I hope you're not going easy on me because we're old friends. You'll be sorry."

"We're not friends, Marik," Yami growled, drawing his card. He summoned Big Shield Gardna to the field in defense mode.

Marik knew how to keep on mercilessly attacking Yami. He played another rare and powerful magic card called Hinotama, dealing 500 points of damage. The duel had only just begun and Yami already lost half of his life points.

Kaiba growled as he watched the duel. "That third-rate duelist never had cards that powerful in his deck. So he _is_ being helped."

Marik laughed as he watched his opponent panic. He knew that for certain he would win this battle. Odion came and informed him that Joey's sister had arrived in Battle City. Hearing that, Marik figures he could use that to his advantage and tells him to send the Rare Hunters to capture Serenity.

As Yami was recovering from the blast, he continued trying to figure out a solution. If he would lose, Marik would gain everything. But if he would win, Joey and Emily would get dragged to the bottom of the ocean. All three of them would be doomed in less than an hour unless something would be done to save everybody.

Serenity and Tristan finally made it to Domino City. Serenity began looking back on her childhood from when she explored the city with Joey. She could picture the place in her mind clearly. Tristan tried calling Tea so he could ask where to meet everybody, but got no answer. Then he realized he should have planned where to meet his friends before he left to pick Serenity up from the hospital.

They decided to walk along the way. Everybody couldn't be too far and had to be in the city. Just then, Tristan saw Rare Hunters closing in on them like predators. "What do you guys want with us?"

"Tristan, what's going on?" Serenity asked.

He pulls her closer to protect her. "We don't want any trouble."

"You may not want any trouble, but we do," said one Rare Hunter.

To escape, Tristan carries Serenity on his back and runs down an alley. The Rare Hunters run to the other end of the alley and cut them off. Tristan and Serenity were about to be captured and taken to Marik until something knocked them out. "And there's plenty more where that came from, tough guy," said a familiar voice.

Tristan recognized the voice. "Is that Duke Devlin?"

"The one and only," Duke answers, striking the Rare Hunters with his dice. "So how've you been, Tristan?"

"Talk later, run now," he says, carrying Serenity. Duke agrees and escapes with them.

Back at the pier, Tea demanded to know what was going on. "Why is Joey dueling against Yugi? Is this some sort of freaky dream?"

"No, Tea," Emily told her. "Marik has taken over Joey's mind and pitted him against Yugi."

"The same Marik you told us to watch out for?" Tea asked.

"Hey, you," the Rare Hunter in the crane called to Tea. "Stop making a fuss. If you don't keep quiet, kid, you're done. So don't test me."

Tea looks up and sees the crate above her. "You wouldn't do it! You don't have the guts!"

"You want to bet?" the Rare Hunter challenged, placing his thumb near the button on the remote.

Seeing he was being serious, Tea decided it would be wise not to test him. She turned to Kaiba and begged, "You've got to stop this duel right away or the whole world may be in danger of being destroyed! Do it now!"

"We can't," Mokuba told her, putting his eyes on the crate. "You'll be killed."

"Well then, maybe you can help, Emily," she called to her. "You can use your powers to help Yugi and Joey."

"But if I do that," Emily said, crying, "I'll lose you forever."

Yami could sense Emily's pain and knew how she felt. That was why he wanted to continue the duel without hurting Joey. He had no monsters powerful enough to stand against Alligator's Sword, so he played a card face down and summoned Kuriboh in attack mode.

Marik wondered what Yami could possibly be thinking playing Kuriboh. If he was trying to lose on purpose so he could save his friend, it would be reasonable. Marik had Alligator's Sword attack, causing Yami to reveal his Spellbinding Circle and stop the reptile's attack. Marik was done playing games and mercilessly attacked Yami once again with another Hinotama card. Now Yami had 1500 life points remaining.

"I've attacked your life points yet again," Marik told him. "As soon as I wipe out the rest, the anchor will drop and take you and Emily with it."

"Marik, I can assure you that you'll never get away with your plan," Yami groaned.

"Is that so? I say you're in no position to be making any threats."

Yami got back to his feet. "I know the real Joey is in there and I'm going to set him free no matter what it takes. There's no way you'll win my Puzzle or my Egyptian God card."

"Joey is gone," Marik argued. "So just make your move. Not that it matters. None of your monsters are powerful enough to attack mine."

"Joey, snap out of it," Tea cried. "We're your friends! Don't you remember?"

Then Yugi began speaking through to Yami. Feeling their connection, Emily joins in. "Tea's right," Yugi says. "I have an idea that might be able to save Joey and get us all out of this mess. It came to me when Tea reminded us of our friendship. That's how I know there might be a chance to break through to Joey. You should let me duel in your place."

At first, Emily was surprised to hear that, but she immediately understood and agreed. Yami, on the other hand, wasn't too sure. "But why?"

"Because through thick and thin, Joey and I have shared a really strong bond," Yugi answers. "A bond that I think might be enough to break through to him. We've been through so much together like the time he and Tristan rescued me and Emily from the fire. They risked their lives for us and now it's my turn to risk my life for my friends."

"And I'm going to help," Emily said. "I don't need to use my powers to free Joey from Marik's control. As powerful as my gift may seem, nothing is more powerful than a sacred bond between friends."

"This is a very dangerous match," Yami warned.

Yugi was aware of the danger, but he wasn't afraid. When fighting for a friend, Yugi would never let fear stand in his way. Emily knew as much, so she said, "Yami, if anyone can break through to Joey, I believe Yugi can. Joey is Yugi's best friend. And if Tea and I were in their place and I was being forced to fight against Tea, I would do everything in my power to help her because she's my best friend. So you see, this battle affects me too. I can't use my magic, but I don't need to. It's friendship that counts. We already proved that to Pegasus when we all faced him together. Now we can prove it to Marik also."

"That's why I want to go in there and do whatever I have to do," Yugi said. "If it were the other way around, Joey and Tea would do the exact same thing for me and Emily. Please understand that this isn't something we want to do, but something we feel we have to do."

Yami could see the spark of courage in Yugi's eyes shining like fire. He even saw the same blue light shining on his forehead revealing the Egyptian symbol of courage. He could see how strongly he felt about this. "If you and Emily feel that strongly, Yugi, then go," he replied. "Go and rescue your best friends. And know that I will be right here should either of you need me."

"Thank you, Yami," Emily and Yugi whispered.

The connection breaks and Emily finds herself bound to the anchor again. _Marik's facing Yugi now,_ she thinks to herself. _But Yugi can do this. What he feels in his heart, I feel it too._

Sensing it with his Millennium Rod, Marik begins to throw a fit. "That spineless coward! He sent little Yugi to protect himself!" Marik yelled. "You cheat! I want to destroy the pharaoh!" He calms down for a minute and has second thoughts. "But then again, this might be just what I needed. I can win this duel with ease now that I'm up against little Yugi instead of the pharaoh. And it doesn't really matter which of them I defeat. I'll still be able to claim my prizes."

 _Remember, Yugi,_ Yami was saying in the back of his mind, _Joey, Emily, and Tea are counting on you, but you'll come through as long as you believe in the Heart of the Cards._

Yugi agrees and draws his card. His belief allowed the card he drew to be the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Yugi had a feeling the card would be the key to saving Joey, but Yami reminded him that he had to play it wisely and think his moves carefully. Sensing it in the connection, Emily remembers that Joey gave Yugi the Black Dragon so a part of him would live within his deck. Perhaps allowing Joey to see his prized card would help him break through.

It was time for Yugi to jog Joey's mind by bringing along an old friend who isn't too easy to forget. Yugi was about to sacrifice his two monsters, but Yami stopped him. An immediate summoning was too risky, especially with only 1500 life points. But Yugi saw another alternative that would allow Joey to see the card without playing it on the field. It was Exchange, a magic card that allowed the players to trade one card from their hands and keep it for the rest of the duel.

 _You need to decide what to do now,_ _Yugi,_ Emily thought. _But I have to help too like I said I would. Joey's my friend too. He said that whenever he feels down, all of his friends stand by to support him. We've all been there for one another._ "Joey, do you remember what Tea said? Remember our friendship! Remember the bond we made!" Then the image Tea drew on everyone's hands appeared in her mind. The ink washed off from their hands, but the pact was forever marked in their hearts. "Our ring of friendship can't be broken!"

Hearing that, Yugi decides to take whatever risks would come his way in every move he would make. He and his friends made a pact that they would always be there for one another. Like Emily said, no magic is powerful enough to destroy any bond of friendship and it's time to prove it to Marik. Finally, Yugi plays Exchange.

Marik laughs. "You must be desperate to play a card like that! But if you insist, I'll be glad to take a card from your hand." Under Marik's control, Joey walks over to the other side of the arena. Yugi reveals his hand. Seeing the Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Joey recognizes it. It's faint, but Emily senses Joey trying to resist and feels Marik's control slipping. Marik urges Joey to take the Black Dragon from Yugi's hand, but Joey remembers his promise and mentally argues that his friend needs the card. Instead of taking Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Joey takes Card Destruction.

It made Yugi happy to see that Joey didn't take Red-Eyes, but he wondered if his best friend was back. "Joey, are you there?"

"No," Marik answers. "I told you, Joey is gone. I had no need for your Red-Eyes Black Dragon. I plan to defeat you with my arsenal of rare magic cards."

"There's no point in lying, Marik," Emily argued. "Yugi and I could sense Joey resisting your control and neither of us had anything to do with it."

 _Emily's right,_ Marik growled to himself. _I did feel my control over Joey slipping and she wasn't even using her powers. But no matter. I assure her and Yugi that it won't happen again._ Joey holds out his hand and Yugi takes Magical Arm Shield. After that, Joey walks back to his side of the arena.

"You can lie to yourself all you want, Marik, but we all know that my best friend is still here and he will be set free," Yugi promised.

"You're the one who's only fooling himself," Marik argued.

"Emily and I could sense that Joey was trying to break free and get out," continued Yugi. "He resisted taking Red-Eyes because he remembered the promise he made to me." Now Yugi knew for sure that he could use Red-Eyes Black Dragon to bring his best friend back. Seeing the image on the card was one thing, but it would do more if Joey saw the monster itself. Finally, Yugi sacrificed Kuriboh and Big Shield Gardna to summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

Sure enough, it was working. The Joey Yugi and Emily knew and loved was fighting to break free. Marik felt his control over Joey slipping again. For any duelist, it's hard to see a card he cares about to be used against him. And it would only get harder in the state Joey was in. Seeing Red-Eyes Black Dragon in front of him made him feel like he was being reunited with a long lost friend, like someone from his past was coming back into his arms again.

"Joey, I'm only doing this because I'm your friend," Yugi called. "So prepare to be knocked back to your senses!" And the Black Dragon attacked Alligator's Sword with Inferno Fire Blast, dealing 900 points of damage to Joey.

Marik would not let his control over Joey continue to slip away. "Sorry, Yugi, your trick didn't work. I'm still in control. And now it's time for me to wipe out the rest of your life points and take what belongs to me."

Yami saw that the duel was starting to get too dangerous and wanted to get back in the game, but Yugi refused. It was his battle and Joey was his friend. Seeing Yugi remove the Puzzle from around his neck, Yami wonders what he could be planning. "I know I can save Joey," Yugi promised, "You have to trust me. Since the day I first solved the Millennium Puzzle, you've given me hope, courage, and confidence. You even helped me to make new friends. But I can't go through my life depending on you. I need to know that even without the Millennium Puzzle and your guidance I can still be brave for my friends. I guess what I'm saying is, I need to prove to myself that I can be like you even without you. Do you understand?"

Yami did understand. He could see the fire in Yugi's eyes as well as the light on his forehead glowing. Yami could see himself inside his counterpart, fighting on with the same bravery and determination. But it was still a very dangerous fight. "You are aware of what will happen if you lose this duel, aren't you?"

Yugi was completely aware. That was why he wanted to take all the risks. It wasn't about him anymore, but all of the people he loved.

"Go for it," Emily immediately said. "You believe in yourself. It's only right and fair that we believe in you. And like I already said, I'd be doing the exact same thing if I was in your shoes."

Yami accepted Yugi's decision. "You have the power to win this. We all believe in you."

"And I won't disappoint you," Yugi promised. He was ready to save his best friend, the people he loved, and the world on his own. He held onto the chain and began walking to the other side of the arena.

Marik paid no attention to what Yugi was doing. He played his third and last Hinotama card, bringing Yugi down to his last 1000 life points. Tea had enough. Once again, she begged the Kaiba brothers to stop the duel. Looking at the crane, they reminded her that there was nothing they could do. Marik wasn't done with his move. He summoned Rocket Warrior in attack mode. Its special ability allowed it to weaken any monster it would attack by 500 points for the duration of the turn. Next, he played Attricion, a magic card that allowed Rocket Warrior to lower a monster's attack points by 1500 when attacking in its invincible mode. Rocket Warrior broke one of the Black Dragon's wings as it weakened it. The effect of Marik's cards weakened the Black Dragon down to a sparse 400 attack points.

Seeing the Red-Eyes Black Dragon injured, Joey begins trying to break free once again. It was like seeing the Black Dragon in pain made Joey feel like he was hurting someone he loved deeply. Suddenly, a strange vision flashed before his eyes. He saw himself standing in front of a tablet with Red-Eyes Black Dragon's image. He also saw himself holding a maiden with long black hair. In his head, he heard himself say, _"Forgive me, my love. I failed you."_ Joey groans and presses his hand against his head. "What's happening to me?"

 _What's going on?_ Emily wondered. _I feel a strange power coming from Joey like something inside of him is awakening._

Yugi saw Joey trying to break free and wasn't going to give up until his best friend was safe. He even had another idea on how to break through to Joey. "You're my best friend," Yugi said again. "And just like you gave me your Red-Eyes Black Dragon, I want to give you something that's meaningful to me." He walks up to Joey and holds out the chain. "Please take this. It's my most precious possession; the Millennium Puzzle. Now a piece of me will always be with you," he says, putting the chain around Joey's neck. "Take care of it, Joey. It's yours now." Now both friends had a part of themselves living within each other.

It was bringing tears to Emily's eyes. But as emotional as it was for her to take in, there was something else she was concerned about. She wondered if the Red-Eyes Black Dragon wasn't just affecting Joey's mind, but also his heart. It was like she could hear the Black Dragon calling out to Joey with a human voice. Emily always knew that a duelist and his monster are bound together by the Heart of the Cards, but she had a feeling that there was more to it than that with Joey and Red-Eyes; that they were connected together by something entirely more.

 _It's like Red-Eyes Black Dragon wants to help Joey_ , she thought to herself. _It's like it's trying to save its friends. There's a lot more to this monster. I'm sure of it. It's because of the bond between Joey and his Dragon that Marik's power is weakening_. _When Joey saw his Dragon being injured, it triggered something inside of him. I could feel it by looking in his heart. Marik may be able to control Joey's mind, but he can't control Joey's heart. And now I know, the heart is where the truth lies and the truth will set my friend free._


	24. Friends 'Till the End

Friends 'Till the End

Out in the city, Duke, Tristan, and Serenity continued to avoid being captured by the Rare Hunters. They lowered themselves in the back of a truck to keep hidden. Seeing that they weren't being noticed, they figured they were safe. Looking outside, the coast was clear, so they decided to catch up. The last time Tristan remembered seeing Duke was when he opened his new game shop and was showing off Dungeon Dice Monsters. Duke heard about the Battle City tournament and thought it would be fun to check out.

"I was hoping to run into Yugi, but I guess you'll do," Duke admitted. He turns his attention to Serenity and asks Tristan, "Who is this?"

"To you, she's off-limits," Tristan warned, remembering that Duke had a thing for wooing girls and trying to get them to like him. "This is Serenity. She's Joey's little sister."

Duke remembered Joey. "Wasn't he the guy I made dress up in the doggie costume?"

"Don't bring that up," Tristan hissed. "You'll upset Serenity."

"Fine," Duke whispered. "Now that that's taken care of, who were those guys back there?"

"I have no idea," Tristan answered. "But I sure didn't like the look of those punks. I wonder why they were after us anyway."

"Who knows?" Duke asked. "But I can tell they weren't very fond of your guys."

"Wow, Sherlock, you're very smart," Tristan sarcastically remarked. "Did you figure that out all by yourself or did someone help you?"

"Very funny," Duke retorted. "Someone's after you and you need to figure out why."

Serenity speaks up and asks, "Hey, guys, if those jerks are after us, then does that mean-?"

Tristan knew what she was talking about. "They're after the others too." Realizing that everyone else may be in even more trouble, they all get out of the truck and head out to find the rest of their friends.

Back at the pier, tensions were beginning to mount for everybody. "I want you to keep my Millennium Puzzle, Joey," Yugi said, walking back to his side of the arena. He also gave it to Joey in hopes that it would free him from Marik's control. Marik forbade Emily from using her own Millennium powers to help Joey. He never said Yugi couldn't use his. But they had to end this fast. The anchor would fall in the next twenty minutes and Emily would be going down with either one of them, or both of them.

Looking down, Joey sees the Millennium Puzzle hanging around his neck. Marik tries to maintain his control by persuading Joey to fight back. "He's trying to bribe you with the Puzzle. Yugi is your enemy and I am your master, so listen to me." Marik didn't change his mind. He still wanted the Millennium Puzzle, but he wouldn't be able to use its powers until he had officially won it from Yugi. "Yugi wants to hurt you, so get rid of the Millennium Puzzle. Hurl it into the ocean so Yugi can't weaken us. And once we win this duel, I'll send my Rare Hunters into the sea to retrieve it."

Under Marik's control, Joey removes the chain from around his neck. He removes a piece and grasps it in one hand. "No, Joey!" Yugi cries. "Please stop!"

Joey stops himself and one of his memories plays before his eyes. He remembers doing this before, taking a piece of the Millennium Puzzle and throwing it in the water. Remembering what happened, Joey gets on his knees and grabs his wrist to stop himself from doing the same thing again. "I can't do it," he groans, putting the piece back in place. "Yugi's my friend."

Marik still couldn't stand his control over Joey slipping, but he decided to accept it this once. "All right, keep the Puzzle if you wish."

"Yes, sir," Joey said obediently. "Keep the Puzzle."

"Puzzle or no Puzzle, you will destroy Yugi." Joey puts the chain around his neck and picks up his cards. "Your friendship won't work, Yugi," Marik tells him. "Joey's mind belongs to me. Now make your move so I can end this. And you'd better act quickly because you've got less than fifteen minutes before the anchor pulls you and two of your best friends into the ocean's depths."

Since Marik's turn was over, Red-Eyes got back the 500 attack points it lost from Rocket Warrior's effect. But it was still too weak to fight. Yugi needed the Dragon's help so Joey could break free again, but losing the Dragon to another attack would also mean losing his only chance of saving his best friend. So right now, Yugi had to protect the monster that was special to Joey. He placed two cards face down and summoned Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode.

Marik wondered why Yugi didn't attack, but it actually didn't really matter. Destroying Red-Eyes would gain him victory. The card Joey drew was Panther Warrior and he summoned it to the field. The Panther couldn't attack without a sacrifice, so Rocket Warrior transformed into its invincible mode. Against Marik's orders, Joey declared an attack on the Magnet Warrior. It was like Joey didn't want to continue hurting the monster that meant so much to him. He had a feeling that doing so would cause him to hurt someone he loved. When he saw that girl from his vision, he didn't know who she was, but Joey knew that she was special to him. But Yugi was ready. He revealed Magical Arm Shield and redirected Rocket Warrior's attack to Panther Warrior. And because Attricion was still in play and since Rocket Warrior was in its invincible mode, the feline warrior lost all 2000 of its attack points.

Marik wasn't going to continue to stand for it. He could sense that Joey had a tendency for certain disregards and needed to be severely punished. The powers of a great deity are not to be taken lightly and anyone with a Millennium Item would know just as much.

It was Yugi's turn again. He sacrificed his Magnet Warrior and summoned the Archfiend of Gilfer, a fiend with 2200 attack points. Plus, Panther Warrior got back the 500 attack points it lost from Rocket Warrior. The fiend attacked Rocket Warrior and dropped Joey's life points down to 1700.

In the city, Duke, Serenity, and Tristan looked around for the rest of their friends. They wondered if perhaps everyone was on their way to the finals. They ran into some duelists and asked them if they had any knowledge on how to get to the finals, but to no avail. Just then, they saw the same Rare Hunters from before coming their way. Tristan told Duke to take Serenity and keep running. He figured that maybe he could get some information from them on where he could find his friends.

Duke helped Serenity to cross the street, unaware that a car was coming their way. Driving the car was Mai and she stopped in front of them. "Watch it," she scolded. "Cross on the green, not in between!"

"Please help us," Serenity begged.

"We're being chased by a gang of robed weirdos," Duke finished. Mai had a feeling she knew what they were talking about and told them to hop in the car.

Tristan managed to take down all three of the Rare Hunters. He was exhausted, but wouldn't go down without getting any answers. "If you goons haven't had enough, there's plenty more where that came from." One Rare Hunter fell back and cowered. Tristan picked him up by the neckpiece of his cloak. "Where are my friends, you freak? Spill it!"

"The Domino pier," he weakly answered.

"They'd better be," Tristan growled.

"I swear!"

Then Tristan heard a car and saw it stopping in front of him. In the driver's seat, he saw Mai. He also saw Duke and Serenity in the passenger's seats. "Hey, Tristan, need a lift?" Mai asked. Tristan decided to ask questions later and jump in the car now. As she was driving, Tristan and Duke explained to her what was going on.

"All right, Tristan, based on your description of these punks, they sound an awful lot like these Rare Hunters I've been hearing about. Underground duelists who lie, cheat, and steal. Their goal is to get a bunch of cards and I'm guessing that's why they kidnapped your friends."

"This isn't the way," Tristan told Mai. "Turn around."

"Sure it is," Mai argued, showing six locator cards. "I know where they are."

"They're not there," said Tristan. "They're at the pier on the other side of the city."

"Are you sure?" Mai asked.

Tristan nodded. "I got it straight from those creeps, so let's go!" Hearing that, Mai turns the car around at the next stoplight and Tristan tells her where she needs to go.

"I hope you and Tea are comfortable, Princess," Marik told Emily, "in the front row seats watching your friends' last duel! Remember, Tea will be fine, but only if you don't use any of your own magic. Still, I can't say the same for you, Yugi, or Joey. In less than ten minutes, the anchor I've bound you to will drop into the ocean, taking you and one of your friends down."

Emily could sense Marik's hold on Joey getting stronger. She had to continue doing her part to help her friends any way that she could. She decided to bring up some more old stories starting with their first adventure together. "Joey, do you remember competing in the Duelist Kingdom tournament? You wanted to win so you could earn the prize money and pay for Serenity's operation. She was your inspiration. And thanks to you, your sister will be able to see again."

"Se… re… ni… ty…" Joey says slowly, remembering being there for her on the day of her surgery.

"You kept your promise, Joey," continued Emily. "And don't forget the pledge you made to Yugi."

"I… promised."

"That's right, Joey. And you've never broken a promise."

"Then I promise you that I will defeat Yugi," Marik tells Emily. He draws his card. It's Skull Dice. He places it face down on the field along with Graceful Dice. "Emily, haven't you and Yugi realized by now that Joey isn't coming back? You're dealing with me now and I plan to take everything from you."

Emily wouldn't give up. "Please wake up!" she cried to Joey. "You've got to snap out of it! Time is running out!"

"That's enough!" Marik shouted.

Yugi draws his card and plays it face down. Next, he attacks Panther Warrior with his Archfiend of Gilfer. Marik reveals his two Dice cards, but Yugi cancels Graceful Dice out by playing De-Spell. Skull Dice's result comes out as a two, dropping the fiend's attack points to 1100 and dropping Marik's life points to 600.

Mai finally brought everyone to the pier. Seeing them get out of the car, Tea cries, "They found us! Help us, guys!"

Tristan tries running to her, but Mokuba stops him. "Don't come any closer! If we try to help Tea, the Rare Hunter will release the crate hanging above her! It's too dangerous!"

Seeing the crate, Tristan backs away. "Why would they want to do that?"

"So we don't stop Joey and Yugi's duel," Mokuba answered.

"That's just sick!"

"If you think that's sick, Tristan, just look at the dueling setup these guys put together."

"These guys don't mess around," Mai said, looking at the arena.

"What's the deal with the anchor and the chains?" Tristan asked. "And why the hell is Emily strapped to the anchor? And why the hell are Yugi and Joey dueling in the first place?"

"Your friend Wheeler is on their side," Kaiba answered.

To elaborate, Mokuba explains, "Somehow, Joey lost his mind and now he's dueling for the Rare Hunters. Whoever loses gets pulled to the bottom of the sea."

"That's insane!" Tristan cried.

Duke agreed. "We've got to stop this!"

Serenity places her hands close to her bandages, but Tea stops her. She knew that if the first thing Serenity saw was her brother under the control of a madman, she would be crushed. "Serenity, please don't take your bandages off! You have to trust me!" Serenity didn't know what was going on. As much as she wanted to know, she agreed that she may not like what she would see, so she removed her hands from her bandages.

To put her at ease, Mai places her arm over Serenity to console her. "Don't worry, if anybody can save Joey, Yugi can."

Marik was having too much fun. Now everyone was here to witness the grand finale. The card he drew was Meteor of Destruction. By playing it, Yugi would receive 1000 points of damage, ending the duel. "The card I hold in my hand is the key to my victory. Once I play it, your world will crumble as you sink to your doom!"

"Not if I can set Joey free for your control first, Marik!" Yugi argued.

But Marik promised Yugi that as long as he held the Millennium Rod, Joey would remain his mind slave. As Joey continues to stare at the card, Marik continues demanding him to play it.

Yugi's friends couldn't stand what was going on, but as much as they wanted to help, they remembered that doing so meant getting Tea killed. But Tea didn't want them to worry about her. "Come on, you guys," she cried. "Time is almost up! You have to stop this duel now! Forget about me! Just save Yugi and Joey! Emily, you've got to use your powers to free yourself and help them! If you don't, you'll all be in major trouble! Please, just do it! I'll be fine!"

The Rare Hunter got out of the crane. "I wouldn't listen to her," he warned, holding the remote.

"I won't risk it, Tea!" Emily calls to her. "As selfish as this may sound, I would rather die than let that Rare Hunter kill you because you're my best friend!"

"Come on, Seto," Mokuba begged. "We have to help Tea and Emily! They saved my life!"

 _There may be a way to help the girls without endangering them_ , Kaiba thought. Quietly, he speaks through his receiver and contacts headquarters.

 _I'm not willing to risk Tea's life,_ Emily thought. _But I am willing to continue helping the rest of my friends_. "Time is almost up, Joey," she cries out. "You have to remember who you are now!"

"I… am… Joey," he weakly responds and all of his memories start coming into mind. He places his hand on his head as he watches every scene being played out. "It's faint, but I also remember my friends. I remember going to Duelist Kingdom and fighting my hardest to get to the top." He remembers his duels against Mai, Rex, the Paradox brothers, Max, and even Yami. He also recalls his victories in the Battle City competition and the promise he made to his friends. "My past," he groans, "it's real."

"You have no past," Marik told him. "Now do as I command and destroy Yugi!"

Feeling Marik trying to maintain control over his mind, Joey continues trying to resist. "No!" he yells. "Get out of my head!"

"Your feeble brain is no match against my powers. You belong to me, so play Meteor of Destruction and vanquish Yugi!"

"I can't!" Joey screams. "He's my best friend! I won't destroy Yugi!"

"Silence!" Marik commands. "Obey me at once or face severe consequences!"

"Fight him, Joey!" Yugi encouraged. "I know you can do it! Just be strong!" _Joey's going to do it. Our friendship is strong and so is his will. Marik's Millennium Rod has nothing on that. Joey's just got to keep fighting before the anchor falls and takes us into the ocean with it._

Agreeing with Yugi's thoughts and having had enough of Marik's head games, Emily decides to speak to him. She may be bound to an anchor and Marik may not be in her presence, but she knows he can hear her. "Marik!" she cries. "You hide like a coward, but wherever you are, I know you can hear me! And I've got some news for you: there will be a loser in this duel, but it won't be Yugi or Joey. It'll be you! You will lose this duel, Marik!"

Marik could hear her and felt like she was in his presence. "What!?"

"You thought you could force Joey into destroying Yugi by taking over his mind, but there's something you didn't take into account. The strength of Joey's will, his heart, and his bond with his friends! Time may be running out, but Joey's back, meaning you are no longer in control of this duel. Your power over Joey has been removed and I say that means you lose!"

"Emily's right," Yugi tells Marik. "The timer may be running out, but now that Joey's free, you can't be considered the winner of this duel because you're not dueling anymore."

Marik snarled as he was listening to what Yugi and Emily were telling him. "You'll pay for this!"

"What are you going to do now, Marik?" Emily taunted. "Just wait in your little hideaway until the duel's over? This is your last chance for victory! But now you know that Joey can't be controlled, so it's up to you!"

 _Everyone can be controlled, and once I force Joey to play Meteor of Destruction, you and Yugi will be finished!_ Marik yelled in his mind. _No one can resist the sacred powers of the Great Goddess Millennia! Behold the full potential of my Millennium Rod!_

Joey continued to cry out in pain, but was lost again as Marik regained control. "It's over! I play Meteor of Destruction!" _You dare disrespect my power? Your friend is weak, just like I thought!_ But as Joey saw the Meteor coming down on Yugi, he screamed for help. As if Millennia herself could hear Joey's cries, it was like she freed him from Marik's control.

"What!? No!" Marik yelled. "Yugi and Emily were right! Wheeler's will and heart _were_ too powerful to overcome! No!" he screamed, feeling his control over Joey was completely gone.

Yugi smiled for their triumph over Marik's power. There was one thing left to do and that was to end the duel. He revealed his trap card Mystical Rift Panel. The trap absorbed the power of the Meteor, but now Yugi had the choice to redirect the Meteor back at Joey or let it come down on him instead. As difficult as the choice was, Yugi already made up his mind and knew what he was going to do; the right thing. Not for himself, but for the people he loved. But he wouldn't make his move yet. A few affairs had to be settled.

Joey looks down. "Why am I wearing your Millennium Puzzle?"

"Yugi gave it to you," Emily answered. "He wanted to help you remember your friendship."

"I'm confused," Joey confessed.

Yugi explains and tells him, "Marik tried to turn you against me, but our friendship proved to be stronger than his powers. And giving you my Puzzle helped you to break free. You're my best friend, Joey, and no evil magic can take that away. Now it's time to put an end to this duel. But remember, we defeated Marik together."

Just then, one of Kaiba's helicopters came flying in. Seeing it in the sky, the Rare Hunter gets ready to push the button on the remote. Kaiba tosses one of his cards, striking the Rare Hunter's hand and making him lose his grip. The Rare Hunter tries to get the remote back, but Kaiba charges towards him and shoves him off the dock. The helicopter tips the crane over, causing it to fall in the water. Mokuba runs to the chair and frees Tea. "I guess we're even now," he says, pushing the buttons and unlocking her shackles.

"Emily, I'm free," Tea tells her, "You can use your powers now! Save Yugi and Joey!" Then she and the others head for the arena.

Emily nods and begins casting magic. Fire catches on her hands and she burns the ropes around her wrists. Next she burns the ropes around her waist and ankles, freeing her. Now she had to help Yugi and Joey. "You don't have much time," she tells them. "In less than a minute, you'll both be pulled under."

"And there's no way I'm letting that happen," says Yugi. "So I've decided to save you, Joey. There's no point in both of us going down and if I lose, you're safe."

Listening to his words, Joey refuses. "I can't let you do this."

Yugi releases his tears and sobs, "It's my decision, so now, take care of my Millennium Puzzle." And he declares the Rift Panel to direct the Meteor of Destruction down at him. The timer resets itself for thirty seconds and Joey's box opens up. The holograms are still projected, meaning the duel isn't over yet.

Joey remembers Meteor of Destruction's second effect. Since Yugi has a monster on the field, Joey can force it to attack him. He calls out for Red-Eyes Black Dragon to take out his life points and open Yugi's key box. The Dragon carries out Joey's wish and attacks. As its Inferno Fire Blast engulfs him, Joey sees the same black-haired girl from his vision. She stops in front of him and looks at him with red eyes. She smiles, moves her face close to him, and whispers, "You're free now," and kisses his cheek. "All is forgiven and I promise, I'll always protect you and your friends," she says and disappears. Joey had no idea what that was about, but he smiled at his Dragon. Good ol' Red-Eyes.

Emily jumps from the anchor and flies in the air. "Both of your boxes are open! You need to free yourselves now before the time elapses! You've got less than thirty seconds!"

Joey was amazed to see Emily flying with wings, but he had no time. He wouldn't save himself, though. Yugi was out of it from the attack and needed help more than Joey did. "Yugi, you save my hide more times than I can even count. Well, this time, I'm going to save you! You taught me about courage and never giving up!" A yellow light glows on Joey's forehead, revealing a different kind of insignia. It was the Egyptian symbol for friendship.

Hearing her brother's words, Serenity removes her bandages and slowly opens her eyes. At last, for the first time, her vision is clear. "I can see."

"Hang in there, Yugi!" Joey cries. He removes the Puzzle and his duel disk and uses his chain to swing to the other end of the arena. Emily flies down to get Joey's key. She manages to get it, but feels something trying to pull her back. She had a shackle to her ankle as well. Marik spared no expense trying to have her and her friends killed. She uses a fire spell to burn the chain around her ankle. The fire doesn't hurt her, so she's all right. Joey makes it and gets Yugi's key in time. The timer runs out and the anchor falls to the sea.

"The anchor's going to drag them all down!" Tea shouts, and everyone's chains get pulled in the water.

Emily stops casting magic and heads for her friends. "Joey, grab my hand!" she cries, holding one hand out to him and his key in the other. He grasps Yugi's key in one hand and grabs Emily's hand.

As they all get pulled under, Tea lets out what sounds like a gasping scream. "Yugi! Joey! Emily!"

As they get pulled deeper into the ocean, Emily hurries to unlock Joey's chain while he sets Yugi free from his. The water cools Emily's chain enough to rust, making it easily breakable. She puts Yugi and Joey's arms over her shoulders and carries them up to the surface. She comes up like a flying fish and flaps her wings.

"She did it!" Tea cries. "She saved them both!"

Joey finishes choking the water out of the system. "Emily, but how?"

She gently sets her friends down. "Why is more important. And the reason is because you're my friends and friends stay together until the end. I meant what I said. I'd rather die than let my friends be killed."

Then everyone surrounds the three to hug them. "You did it," Tea cheers. "You used your powers and saved Yugi and Joey!"

"Powers?" Tristan asked. He notices Emily's wings and lets out a startled gasp. "Whoa! You have wings!"

"Are these real?" Duke asked. "I've never seen anything like this!"

Serenity moves closer to Emily. "Wow," she says gently. "You look just like an angel! You must be! How else could you have been able to save Yugi and Joey?"

Joey notices his sister and asks, "Serenity, how did you get here?"

"Tristan and Mai brought me here after we tracked you guys down," she answered.

Kaiba is still baffled by Emily's powers, but he just watches the reunion in disgust. _How cute. The geeks are back together again. Now that I've set things straight by saving Mokuba's friends, I can get back to Battle City and prepare for my victory in the finals._


	25. Joey's Awakening

Joey's Awakening

Everyone remained at the dock. Emily used her magic to help dry her friends off. She produced heat in her hands and flapped her wings to let out a gentle wind. After that, she walked up to Tea. "Tea," she began, unsure of what to say. "I'm… well…"

Tea sets her hand over her shoulder. "You don't have to say anything."

But she did. "I'm sorry! I know I promised you I would save you, but if I did, I would have lost you forever! I could never forgive myself if I let that happen!" she said, crying.

"I know," Tea says, hugging her. "And I'm glad you didn't. You did what I wanted you to do and helped Yugi and Joey instead. That's why it's all okay."

"I meant what I said, Tea. I would rather die than let my best friend get killed."

"If you girls were in the same situation as me and Joey, I'm sure you'd do for each other what we did," said Yugi. "And we'd do the same thing if we were in your situation."

Hearing what they're all saying, Joey decides to own up to his mistakes. He felt more helpless than anyone else did though. "I'm sorry too. Even if what happened wasn't my fault, I almost destroyed our friendship and got us all killed." The same mark appeared and was glowing again, reacting to Joey's words and his sense of loyalty to his friends.

"But you didn't," Yugi tells him. "You saved us all and our friendship."

Joey continued to scold himself. "I had no choice. Once I realized what I was doing, I had to set everything right or do myself in trying. Ever since we've been friends, we've always kept our eyes out for each other. I wasn't going to let some evil nutcase change that. Even if… even if my brain was turned to mush!"

"But everything's okay now," said Emily. "You're back where you belong and that's what counts."

Joey wasn't listening. "That Marik made a complete fool out of me. How can I ever show my face in the finals now?"

"Will you get a grip?" Mai asked. "Who cares about how you looked? You showed some real courage today just like how you did in Duelist Kingdom for your sister. Why she's here is because of you. You're her hero."

"What kind of a hero loses his mind and almost gets two of his best friends killed!?" Joey asked. "Talk about setting a bad example."

"Stop punishing yourself," Tristan snapped. "Your sister gets her strength from you. That's why she waited until now to take her bandages off."

Finally, Joey notices his sister can finally see. "I was afraid at first," she tells her brother, "but hearing you and Yugi and Emily save each other inspired me. After I took my bandages off and opened my eyes, you showed me what loyalty and courage are all about. I just had to come here for you. I made it through my operation because of you. You've always been there for me. Today, it was my turn to be there for you, big brother," she sobs and hugs him. "Joey, I'd say we're a pretty good team."

Joey sighs in agreement as he hugs his little sister.

"I'm glad we're all together again," said Yugi.

"And I'm glad this whole mess is finally over," Emily added.

Joey releases his sister and removes the Millennium Puzzle from around his neck. "I believe this is yours," he says, returning it to Yugi. "Thanks for everything, pal. I owe it all to you and Emily for never giving up on me."

Yugi nods. "Thank you for coming back to us, Joey. And, Emily, thank you for saving our lives."

"How could I do anything else," she asked. "Everyone right here is my family and I'm so thankful. If I lost you, I would never be able to find another family like the one I have."

Everyone agreed. _That reminds me_ , Yugi wonders, _I owe you my thanks as well, Yami. You trusted me enough to handle this on my own. I could never have broken through to Joey if you hadn't believed in me. You and I make a great team, but it's nice to know that I have the strength to hold my own if I have to. And you helped me to find that strength inside myself._

Emily notices that Kaiba is still around. "Kaiba," she calls and runs up to him. "I need to thank you, for saving my best friend when I couldn't. I can't stand you half the time, but I have to remember that you care too. That's why I'm grateful to you. You really are a friend I can depend on," she says, wrapping her arms around him.

Kaiba frees himself and moves Emily away. "I don't need your gratitude. I did what I had to. Got that, Briar?" He turns his attention to Yugi and tells him, "As for you, Yugi, I'll see you at the Battle City finals." Then he and Mokuba head on their way.

Yugi and his friends couldn't forget about the finals. They also had a feeling that Marik would make his next move there. But they didn't want that fear to come into mind. Still, Yugi hoped that in their next encounter, Marik would show his face now that he knew he couldn't control Yugi's friends.

There was something Joey couldn't take off of his mind. He started remembering the visions he had while Red-Eyes Black Dragon was helping to set him free from Marik's control. Who was that girl from his visions? Joey knew there was something familiar about her. He had a feeling she was someone special to him. Then he heard the same voice in his head, promising he would always be under the Black Dragon's protection. Joey knew that this was going to torment him a lot. He wanted to learn more about those visions and who that girl was.

Seeing Joey looking troubled, Emily decides to look inside his heart. She also begins remembering what happened back there. Somehow, Joey's bond with his Red-Eyes Black Dragon triggered something inside of him. It was like some sort of dark secret he kept buried inside was being revealed. Then she began wondering if something else allowed Joey to break free from Marik's complete control. She remembered hearing that the Millennium Items allowed their wielders to borrow the powers of the Great Goddess herself. Maybe that same goddess was also involved and freed Joey herself like she knew her powers were being used for evil purposes. If there was a goddess, she would be proud of Yugi and his friends for their bravery and loyalty to one another. There was also the mark that was shining on Joey's head. No one knew what it was, but they had a feeling it meant something.

Emily's concentration was broken as Serenity was talking to her. "Emily," Serenity was saying. "I'll never forget how you saved my big brother. And now that I'm here, I can watch him duel in the Battle City finals."

Mai laughed and said, "Look, Serenity, I know you're excited to see your big brother dueling in the finals and all, but between us, girlfriend, Joey's not going to last too long in the competition; especially once he has to face me in a duel."

"Oh, yeah," Joey snorted. "Who beat who last time?"

Mai rolls her eyes. "Pure luck. Besides, Duelist Kingdom is ancient history and this time, I plan to wipe out you and Yugi."

"Not a chance," Joey argued. "After what Yugi and I have been through, this tournament's gonna be a breeze! Speaking of which, it's time to use our locator cards and find out where the finals are being held." He activates his duel disk and places his locator cards in the five panels and the slot for field cards.

The locator cards began projecting a hologram of a stadium, revealing the hidden location. A voice spoke and announced, "Congratulations. Our satellite network has confirmed that you are a Battle City finalist. Stand by for directions to KaibaCorp stadium."


	26. Shadow of a Duel

Shadow of a Duel

At the hospital, Max and Bakura were sound asleep and their minds wandered freely. Bakura was asleep in his bed and Max rested her head on his bedside. Rather the evil spirits wandered freely, giving their hosts nightmares. In the void, they met up with Marik. "It seems everything is going according to plan," Marik told them.

"Yes, and we've already done more than we agreed to do," said the evil Max. "We took care of Bakura and Max so you could rescue them and gain the trust of Yugi's friends. Now it's your turn."

"You'll get my Millennium Rod and the other Items after you've completed your end of the bargain."

"Look," the spirit of the Millennium Ring growled. "Our patience is growing thin, Marik. What's the next phase of the plan?"

"You will obtain a duel disk and join your girlfriend in the Battle City finals. I'll hand over the Items you seek if the two of you can win me the cards I desire."

Listening to Marik's words, the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard laughs. It's funny because Marik actually thinks she's Bakura's girlfriend and because she's finding her assumptions about him to be true. "I guess you're not duelist enough to win them yourself," she tormented. "Or is there something else you're not telling us about this scheme of yours, Marik?"

"Do you want the Millennium Items or don't you?" Marik asked. "If you do, then I suggest you and your boyfriend do as I say. Time to enter the finals is running out. You'll need to obtain six locator cards in order to qualify." And he drifted away laughing.

"I'm beginning to see that your instincts about him are right," the evil Bakura tells his partner.

"You always have to see my way the hard way," she scolded. "But no matter. We can use this to our advantage. We'll fulfill our agreement and if he does anything to doublecross us, we'll condemn him to the Shadow Realm and seize his Millennium Item by force."

Hearing Solomon's voice, the evil spirits leave the void and awaken. "Thank goodness you two are all right," Solomon said, sounding relieved. "You were tossing around and shouting in your sleep."

"We're fine," Max insisted. "We were just having nightmares. No need to overreact."

"Well, you two have been through a lot." Then he remembered. "I have some good news. Joey and Yugi called and they both qualify for the Battle City finals."

Max smiled. "That is excellent news, but we're not surprised."

"Did they happen to mention where the finals are being held?" Bakura asked.

"I was so excited about the news, I forgot to ask them," Solomon answered.

"Oh, no, the finals," Bakura gasped. "We have to go. I promise Max we'd be there on time and I don't want someone else to take her place." He sits up and places his shoes on his feet.

Solomon stops him. "You need to rest and we haven't gotten your test results yet."

"Back off, old man," the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard demands. "We don't have time for your foolishness for our destiny awaits."

Solomon backs away as he sees the shard and the Millennium Ring. "Who are you?" Then the spirits lock his soul away. "No, not again," Yugi's grandfather groans.

"That ought to hold him for a while," said the spirit of the Star shard. "Come, we have to get you a duel disk." And she and her partner left the hospital together.

They wandered the city and found a duelist. They took him to an alley and snatched his duel disk and locator card. "No, help!" the teenager cried as his possessions were being taken. "Please give me back my stuff!"

"I'm afraid they belong to us now," said the spirit of the Ring. "Your duel disk and locator card are exactly what I need."

"Please don't," the duelist begged. "I need those so I can keep dueling!"

"Stop groveling, it's pitiful," the evil Max told him, placing the locator card in her pocket. "Your dueling days are over."

"Now then, let's see what kind of deck you have." The evil Bakura removes the teenager's deck from the duel disk. "What? And you call yourself a duelist? It's pathetic," he jeers and tosses the cards towards the boy.

"Well, that wasn't too difficult," his partner said. "Now we need to find you a duelist and fast. But don't worry. I know the perfect opponent for you." The she took out Max's cell phone and dialed Mai's number. Using Max's gentler voice, the evil spirit asks Mai to meet her in the square and give her a ride to the finals. In response, Mai promises to meet Max after dropping the gang off at the stadium. Satisfied, the evil Max tells Mai she's looking forward to it. "The foolish girl has taken the bait. But I have another proposal. Since my host knows Mai better, I think you should let me duel in your place. I can take her down and win you all of her locator cards."

"I asked you to trust me in working together with Marik. It's only fair that I put my trust in you."

The evil Max smiles. "That is fair of you," she says sweetly.

After waiting for about ten minutes, Mai finally arrives at the square. "I'm here, Max. You ready to go?"

"Oh, hey, Mai," Max says. "Actually, I need to tell you something. Earlier today when I was attacked, my locator cards were stolen. I'm afraid I won't be joining you in the finals. But I really want to join. The real reason I requested your presence is to duel you."

"Are you kidding me?" Mai asked.

"I'm not," Max answered. "I don't have time to start over again. Even if I do get six locator cards again, it may be too late for me to enter the finals. But a duel with you might help me. Whoever wins goes to the finals." She smiles and adds, "This might actually be amusing. This duel will determine which of us is the better duelist."

"You've got a lot of spunk, Max," said Mai. "But if you insist, I'll be happy to accept your challenge."

 _Foolish girl,_ the evil spirit wondered. _I've lured you into a duel where you will lose more than just your slot in the finals._ Then the lights in the square are put out and shadows cover the area. Both duelists take their positions and start the duel. Mai makes the first move and summons Harpy Lady in attack mode and plays a card face down. Max plays Graceful Charity and draws three cards. She discards a spell and a trap in exchange for a few Dragons. Next she summons Red-Eyes Black Chick and tributes it to special summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon. After that, she plays Dragon Nails. Now the Black Dragon had 3000 attack points. Max had carefully studied Mai's deck and suspected the hidden card to be her Mirror Wall. So rather than attacking, she plays a card face down.

But the hidden card was actually Cyber shield, raising Mai's Harpy Lady's attack points by 400. Next, she plays Harpy's Feather Duster to remove Max's magic and trap cards. But Max was prepared. The hidden card she played was Magic Jammer. By removing a card from her hand, she canceled the effect of the Feather Duster. It was Max's turn again. She summoned another dragon called Spirit Ryu. The dragon's special ability gave it 1000 attack points for every dragon Max sacrificed from her hand. Max discarded three, raising Spirit Ryu's attack points up to 4000. Max's Black Dragon attacked Mai's Harpy, dealing 1300 points of damage. Then Spirit Ryu attacked, dropping the Rest of Mai's life points down to zero.

"I was disappointed that I had to end this duel right away. I wanted to prolong your suffering. But then again, I had to do away with you quickly so I could enter the finals. And a wager is a wager. You must surrender your locator cards to me. Also, since this was a Shadow Game, you've lost so much more."

Mai trembled in fear as her opponent was approaching her. "Hold on, what are you talking about?"

"You lost the duel, and now your soul will remain in here in the Shadow Realm," the evil Max said and began laughing as the shadows engulfed Mai. The spirit of the Cobalt Star shard gives the locator cards to her partner. "Here, just like I promised you."

The evil Bakura takes the locator cards from her. "I never doubted you, Max. Now we can enter the Battle City finals and fulfill our agreement to Marik. Then the ultimate power in the world will be ours. And I owe it all to you, my dear."

"Let's not get carried away," the evil Max cautioned. "Remember, things will only work well in our favor if we win. Should either of us lose a duel, Marik will call off the deal. Not that it matters. You and I already agreed that if that should happen, we would go back to doing things our way."

"That's true," her partner agreed. "There's also a chance that one of us may have to duel against Marik. Either way, our chances of gaining everything we want are more than good."

"You make a good point. I suppose that no matter what happens, we can't lose. Listen, I'll go on ahead. You stay behind me. We have to keep putting on another convincing act for Yugi and his friends as the Max and Bakura they know."

"Very well," said the evil Bakura. "I'll give you a head start and meet you at the finals." Then they both take different paths to KaibaCorp stadium.


	27. Let the Finals Begin

Let the Finals Begin

The Kaiba brothers were the first to arrive at the stadium. _My competition, if you can call it that, will be arriving soon,_ the elder brother thought to himself. _Along with the two remaining Egyptian God cards._

Keeping to the shadows, Marik looked down on Kaiba. "Look at that fool standing there," he said coyly. "Soon he will become a pawn in his own pathetic game." He turns his attention to Odion. "Listen closely, the time has come to put the final phase of my plan into motion and I need your help. The Battle City finals are about to begin. Everything I need to gain infinite power will be in one place. All we have to do is win.

"For five thousand years, the world has waited for the ancient pharaoh to return. As the scriptures state, he will use his boundless power to rescue the world from evil like he did in the past. Wielding the Egyptian God cards, the spirit of the pharaoh will emerge from the chambers of the Millennium Puzzle and rule mankind once again. Well, I shall fulfill that prophecy by seizing the Millennium Puzzle and draining the pharaoh of his power. But that's not all. According to the ancient scriptures, in order to obtain the pharaoh's power, I must also hold all three Egyptian God cards. Once I complete this task, I will be the new ruler and the former pharaoh will wander the Shadow Realm for eternity.

"This is where I need your help, Odion. I must hide my identity and let everyone think that you are me. Those fools already believe me to be a friend named Namu. I'll gain their trust and crush them with my Egyptian God card!"

Hearing the sound of sinister laughter, Kaiba orders his two associates to light up the stadium. He looks around, only to see Yugi and his friends entering the stadium. They look and wonder if this is really the place where the finals will be held. Yugi and Joey present their locator cards and are given tournament identification cards.

Max races through the entrance and joins the others. "Wait, here I am," she says, a little out of breath and presenting her locator cards.

"Max, you made it," Joey cheered. "I was afraid you wouldn't." He looks behind her and asks, "Where's Mai? I thought she went to pick you up."

Max stretched the truth a little and said, "Something happened and she told me she wouldn't be able to make it. Because of that, she gave her spot in the finals to me." As she continues to assure everyone that everything's all right, they notice someone else coming. Max recognizes that it's Marik, but welcomes him as the friend who helped her. "Hey, it's Namu," she said cheerfully. "I can't thank you enough for helping me and Bakura today."

"Hi, Max," Marik says gently. "You're looking much better. I'm so glad. Where's Bakura now?"

"He's resting in the hospital," Max answers. "I didn't want to leave him alone, but he didn't want me to miss the finals. But I promised Bakura I would give it my all and win for him."

"Well, I'm sure he'll be happy for you no matter what," Marik tells her. He turns his attention to Joey and tells him, "Hey, Joey. Looks like we'll be competing in the finals together. I didn't think I could make it, but after meeting you, I've been winning every duel."

Joey just looked at Marik suspiciously. He didn't know what it was, but something about this new friend didn't seem very friendly.

Max remembers her manners. "Yugi, Emily, this is my new friend Namu. He's the one who rescued me and Bakura and get this, he's also a Battle City finalist. Isn't that awesome?"

"I've heard a lot about you two," Marik says, holding out his hand. "It's an honor to meet you."

"Thanks a lot for helping Bakura and Max," Yugi says gratefully, shaking his hand.

Emily takes her turn to shake Marik's hand. Remembering that he said he already met Joey and Tea, she adds, "Any pal of Joey and Tea's is a buddy of mine and Yugi's."

Marik felt flattered. "I'm so happy to be welcomed by such a welcoming crowd. I hope everyone I meet will be as friendly as you people."

Max giggles. "It's true that once the competition starts, we'll all be rivals. But that doesn't mean we can't be friends when we're not on the battlefield." Then she faces the entrance and sees Bakura weakly coming her way. "Oh, no, Bakura!" she cries, running towards him. "What are you doing? You should be resting in the hospital!"

The others join her. "Grandpa told me you were in bad condition!" Yugi cried.

Bakura lifts his head and steadies himself. "Don't worry. I'm feeling much better now."

But the others weren't convinced and kept telling him to go back. Emily notices a duel disk strapped to his injured arm. "Bakura, when did you get a duel disk and join the tournament?" She could clearly see that something was wrong. Bakura could barely walk, let alone stand up straight in a duel.

"How else could I win six locator cards and make it to the finals?" he countered.

Seeing the locator cards, Marik grins. _Perfect. They're holding their end of our bargain. The fools are dueling for me._

Reading Marik's thought's, Max slightly nods and winks at him to continue the act. "This is really scaring me," she tells Bakura.

"I know I said I didn't want you to miss the finals, Max, but I didn't want to miss you in action either. I guess I just care too much. But don't worry, I promise I'll be careful."

Max sighs and lets Bakura have his way. "Well, if you feel that way, I won't stop you." Then she turns around. "Hey, look, it's the seventh finalist."

Joey, Tea, Emily, and Mokuba all recognize him as the man who captured them. Keeping to his master's plan, Odion introduces himself as Marik, the leader of the Rare Hunters. Hearing that, Joey immediately began seeking revenge and wanting to get back at the madman for what he put everyone through.

"I should disqualify you for capturing my brother," Kaiba told him, "but you have something I want. And before the finals are over, your Egyptian God card will be mine." Kaiba knew that he would never be able to obtain the third Egyptian God card by disqualifying Marik anyway.

Kaiba's two associates spoke up and announced that the finals would begin shortly. But although everyone's locator cards led them here, the stadium wasn't the dueling site. Kaiba's blimp started coming in for a landing. Everyone was surprised to hear that they would be dueling in the sky. "It's time to board Kaiba Craft 3 for the start of the Battle City finals!" Mokuba declared.

The finalists presented their tournament identification cards as they began boarding. One of the associates stopped Tea, Duke, Serenity, Emily, and Tristan. "I can't let you five on board without tournament ID's."

Serenity was about to start crying. "But I've been looking forward to seeing my big brother dueling for a long time." The others agreed and began asking them to let it slide.

"Come on, I don't have a tournament ID and I'm an exception," Mokuba said. "We can make an exception for them too."

But they were Kaiba's rules, meaning that they needed permission from him. "Just let the dweebs go," he sighed in frustration. Hearing that, the gang climbs up the stairs and boards the aircraft. He follows after them. "Begin takeoff immediately."

Hearing that, the associates decide to carry out their boss' orders until they see the eighth finalist coming. It was a woman wearing a white dress with a hood and veil to conceal her features. It was Ishizu. "I believe you gentlemen are waiting for me," she asks, presenting her locator cards. _The final confrontation is upon us and the fate of the world hangs in the balance,_ she wonders to herself, boarding the aircraft.

With all duelists and spectators onboard, the blimp begins to take off. Coming to an altitude of 4000 feet, they begin flying above the city admiring the view. None of them had ever seen the city from so high up. Emily figured she could use it to her benefit and even be able to stretch her wings and practice flying.

"It's so beautiful," Serenity sighs. "Thanks for bringing me here, Joey."

"Just one of the perks about being related to a champion," Joey said and chuckled.

Kaiba scoffed. "You call yourself a champion, Wheeler? You're here by a fluke. Enjoy this while you can, but don't get your hopes up too high, because it's a long way down. Oh, and uh, the last time I checked, monkeys can't fly." That was enough to get Joey ticked off. Sure enough, Kaiba really enjoyed ticking people off and making them snap. He turns his attention to Yugi. "I have some words of advice for you too. I'm aware that you haven't played your Egyptian God card since you won it, but it's time to change that. It had better be in your deck for when you compete in the finals, because I intend to win it from you. This is my tournament and when it's over, I'll be the world's greatest duelist and the owner of all three Egyptian God cards; making my deck unbeatable. So it's time to say your goodbyes to Slifer the Sky Dragon and to any hopes you had of winning. Listen closely, Yugi, Duelist Kingdom is far away and as long as you're up here with me, you're playing by my rules. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a tournament to run."

"Man, this balloon is full of hot air," Joey joked, happy to see Kaiba walking away and finally shutting up.

Using their identification cards, the rest of the finalists enter their assigned rooms. "Check out our deluxe pad," Serenity says, walking in. She looks at the view from the window, admiring it. "Wow, what a great view. It's so awesome. If it hadn't been for you, Joey, I would never have been able to see this."

"But you can," Joey tells his sister. "And that's what matters."

Serenity agrees. "I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be. It's kind of like an enchanted dream, being up here in the sky and looking down at the buildings. I'll never forget this sight."

Joey places his hand over his sister's shoulder. "Thanks, Sis."

"But I should be thanking you. You're the greatest brother and my best friend."

Not wanting to admit he's crying of happiness, he sobs, "My allergies are acting up. I couldn't have gotten here without your help, Sis. We're a great team!" He promises to win with everyone's support and not let anyone discourage or distract him. But it already happens. Their family bonding is soon interrupted once Duke, Tristan, and Tea walk inside. "Have you guys never heard of knocking?"

Since they weren't dueling in the finals, they didn't have any assigned rooms. Until that was straightened out, they decided to settle down in Joey's room. Duke and Tristan began eating snacks and Tea lounged in the chair. No way Joey would be able to focus and prepare for the tournament now with all the noise. Tristan thinks about asking Serenity to check the view together, but Duke beats him to it. Seeing that, Joey becomes even more irritated. It's already bad enough that Duke has to be the way he is around the other girls at school, but to be like this around Serenity?

Sensing Joey's rage, Tristan decides not to let his jealousy get the better of him. He hands his pal a drink and apologizes for barging in. "Sorry to have interrupted your family time together."

Joey takes the drink. "You wouldn't have to be sorry if you didn't come in the first place. Go bother Yugi."

"Nah, we wanted to make sure he and Em had some peace and quiet before the finals started," Tristan says, taking a sip.

"I'm dueling too, y'know," Joey reminded. "By the way, thank you, for looking after my sister." He didn't sound grateful, but he really was. "It means a lot to me."

"Anytime," Tristan said. "It's what helping a buddy is all about."

Duke left the room and went out into the hall. He saw Max and decided to pull off the same routine. "Hey, Maxie. It's been a while. How've you been?" he asked, leaning against the door.

"Don't call me Maxie," she growled.

Duke continued to be smooth. "That's my greeting after all this time? Aww, and I thought we were pals."

Finally, she turns to completely face him. "You know, when I first met you, I actually thought you were kind of cool. But Emily's right, there's nothing cool about getting a girl's attention. Nobody likes a show-off, Devlin; especially not me."

Duke finally drops the act. "Hey, if you're talking about what's going on with Serenity, it's nothing personal," he promises. "I'm just getting to know her. You know, being a friend, making her feel like she's welcome."

Max scoffs. "You don't get it, Devlin. And you never will. Know why? Because you're so full of yourself. That's why I find you pathetic and feel sorry for all the girls you make impressions for."

Duke starts to become appalled. "Now wait just a minute-,"

"Get the hell out of here!" Max screams, striking Duke in the face and throwing him out of the room with a black eye, bloody nose, and swollen lip. Wondering what the commotion is about, Joey steps outside. Seeing Duke on the floor with his hand against his face, he helps him back inside his room and gives him some ice.

In the hall, Kaiba's associates were about to notify their boss about the arrival of the eighth finalist, but Mokuba warned them not to disturb him. It would come to no surprise if his big brother fired them for breaking his concentration while he was preparing for a duel.

In his room, Marik began thinking over his plans once more. _My victory in the Battle City finals is inevitable. Since I've manipulated so many people, I can't lose. Yugi and the princess believe me to be their friend while I secretly control the minds of their true friends. And when the time is right, I'll seize that control. Then there's Bakura and Max. Rather than control their minds, I've convinced the evil spirits to control them and have them duel for me. Before long, the three Egyptian God cards and the Millennium Puzzle will be mine. Only then can I obtain the boundless power of the pharaoh himself. And once I do obtain the power of the pharaoh, I'll set my sights on obtaining the power of the Millennium Star._

Emily joined Yugi in his room to help him prepare for the finals. "You're making the right choice by putting Slifer the Sky Dragon in your deck," she tells him. "It's the only chance you have of stopping Marik from getting what he wants. It'll stand against his own Egyptian God card and prevent him from getting Obelisk from Kaiba."

"I know, but I also have to be careful," Yugi says, reminding her how powerful and dangerous the card is. "And no matter what happens, I've got to believe in my deck and in myself."

"But there's something else I'm worried about," Emily says. "I've got a bad feeling about Bakura. He couldn't possibly make such a quick recovery based on the injury inflicted on him. Unless, it's not Bakura. Also, what if Max isn't the Max we know?"

Yugi knew where she was going with this. "But Tristan said he got rid of the Millennium Ring and Max's charm in Duelist Kingdom. So how could the evil spirits once controlling Max and Bakura be back again?"

Yami understood their concerns and joined in the conversation. "You can't predict the path of a Millennium Item or a sacred object containing the power of the Gods. Max's jewel and the Millennium Ring must have somehow found their way back to Bakura and Max. Now winning will be a more difficult task for us."

"We've got no choice," Yugi said. "The fate of the world depends on it."

"But many dangers lie ahead, so we have to be prepared for anything," said Yami. Then everyone heard the announcements that the finals were about to begin and that all duelists were requested to meet in the main deck. Yugi takes his deck and places it in his duel disk and allows Yami to take control from here.


	28. Return of the Evil Spirits

Return of the Evil Spirits

Everyone met up on the main deck for dinner. There were lots of different goods placed on the tables everyone could help themselves to. Emily noticed Duke was hurt, so she set her plate down and approached him. "Here, Duke, let me help you," she offered. "I think I know a healing spell that might help."

"Sure, Emily," he responded. "But have you performed a healing spell before?"

"No, but there's got to be a first time for everything." She didn't want to mention the voice of the spirit guiding her. That was actually the reason Emily knew what kind of magic she could perform and how to cast it.

Duke nods in agreement. "Yeah, I guess. Okay, go for it." As Emily places her palm against his face, Duke asks, "This isn't going to hurt, is it?"

Emily couldn't believe Duke would ask something so ridiculous. "It's called a healing spell for a reason, genius." Nonetheless, she began concentrating. Her hand glowed with a blue light and Duke felt his pain fading with every pulse. His eye and lip were healed and his nose stopped bleeding. "How do you feel?"

"Better now, thanks to you," he replied. "That was awesome. What other kinds of powers do you have?"

"I'll tell you more when it's not so crowded," was all she could say. Although Emily found herself gaining better control over her powers, she really didn't want to overexert herself or gain unwanted attention. But she promised to share her talents with her friends.

Joey got himself two different plates of dinner, but stopped before eating. He saw Odion standing by himself and scowled at him. Glancing at him and secretly vowing revenge, Joey paid no attention to where he was going and accidently bumped into Bakura. He apologized and asked once again, "How did you make it all the way to the finals?"

Bakura wipes his mouth with his napkin. Finally, he swallows his food and answers, "Very simple, I won six locator cards in one duel. You see, after Max left, I decided I didn't want her to have all the fun. I knew that if I went with her, she would stop me and send me back. So I decided I wanted to surprise her and compete in the tournament with her."

"But still," Joey was saying, "How did you do it?"

"Well, it pains me to say this, but I'm the reason Mai couldn't make it to the finals. I beat her in a duel and won all of her locator cards. But don't tell Max I said that."

Joey's eyes widened. "All of her locator cards? How was it possible?"

Bakura smiles and replies, "Well, let's just say I didn't give her much choice. Time was running out and I needed a real opponent to make it easy for me."

"You forced Mai to give up everything?"

"Sort of," Bakura plainly answers.

Thinking about it made Joey go from feeling concerned to feeling scared. He even found himself losing his appetite. "I think I'm going to go now," he said nervously and walked away.

"Right," Bakura tells him. "Cheerio and good luck in the finals."

 _It'll be good luck if I don't have to duel him,_ Joey thought to himself. He was really starting to feel sick now and it wasn't because of the food. Seeing Odion was enough to make his blood boil, but hearing about how Bakura overwhelmed Mai and took everything from her was scary. Another thing Joey couldn't stand was seeing Bakura look so cheerful and optimistic after all he had gone through, insisting that nothing was wrong and he was all right. _What the hell is wrong with this guy?_

Max snaps her fingers in front of him. "Hey, you okay, Joey?" Joey comes back to his senses and lets out a startled gasp. "Sorry. You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Nah, it's just the seafood," Joey answered. "I think it's been sitting out for too long."

"Well, just don't throw up on me," Max told him.

Kaiba's right hand associate Roland walked up to the platform and called for everyone's attention. It was time to announce the start of the Battle City finals and take names. The duelists would be chosen by random and called by their numbers. Every duelist was given their number based on who showed up for the finals first. To ensure fair selection, a lottery machine shaped like the Ultimate Dragon appeared. Some of the spectators wanted to cry out 'bingo' for the hilarity.

Roland's partner went to the hall and walked up to the door to Ishizu's room. Sensing his arrival, she permits him to enter. "I beg your pardon, ma'am."

"What is it?"

"Mr. Kaiba has requested your presence at once."

"In order to watch the finalists to be paired off for the first duel," she finished for him. "My presence is not required. Some things cannot be explained, but I can assure you with certainty that I will not be chosen for the first duel." _But I know who will be and the fate of the world depends on his victory._

Confused, the man leaves and returns to the main deck.

The machine turned on and the numbered spheres began rolling around. The first sphere came out and read the number six and Bakura was the sixth finalist.

"Me? I duel first?" he asked, surprised.

"Are you all right, Bakura," Max asks.

He chuckles and rubs the back of his head. "Oh, yes, I'm quite all right. Being chosen for the first duel just took me by surprise."

The second sphere was selected. It read the number three, which was Yugi's. Kaiba thought this would be interesting and wondered how Bakura would be able to fare against an Egyptian God card.

Yami, on the other hand, could see right away that something suspicious was going on. As Roland led him and Bakura to the stratos dueling arena, Yugi's thoughts voiced in his head, saying, _I know that's not Bakura. It's the evil spirit of the Millennium Ring and I bet he's still after the Millennium Items. I also bet he wants the Millennium Star too._

They make it to the upper deck and take their positions on the arena. Everyone else arrives to watch the match from the sidelines. "Dueling up here's insane," Joey said.

"And freezing," Serenity adds, holding herself.

"I'm not cold," Emily said in honesty. She really wasn't. None of her friends could understand how she couldn't be cold being dressed in a sleeveless dress. Max knew and wasn't cold either. The power of the Stars made them adaptable to all the different temperatures.

Kaiba makes one more announcement. "I'll make this quick. Kaiba Craft 3 is now cruising at an altitude of 4000 feet. The strong winds and cold air will test your strength and stamina. If you can't take it, you don't belong here." Kaiba sure knew how to test the limits of his friends and enemies. That's all everything in life was to him; a game and a test.

"Are you prepared to lose it all," Bakura asked Yami with a much stronger voice.

"Before we begin, why don't you stop this charade and tell me who you really are?" Yami demanded. Bakura said nothing and just chuckled. "Have it your way, but I think I know who you are." Then the Millennium Ring appears and glows. "It _is_ you! The spirit of the Millennium Ring!"

"How can that be?" Tristan asked. "I got rid of that thing in Duelist Kingdom! How could Bakura have gotten it back?"

Marik continues to act with innocence. "Why all the fuss, guys? What's that thing around Bakura's neck?"

Max clears her throat and decides to explain since she knows Bakura better. "Namu, it's hard to explain, but I'm afraid that's not Bakura. He and Yugi both possess an ancient artifact containing an ancient spirit within. The spirit of Yugi's Millennium Puzzle is good, but the spirit of Bakura's Millennium Ring is evil. And right now, standing before Yugi is that evil spirit."

"So you're saying that an ancient evil spirit is dueling against Yugi?" Marik asked. "That's hard to believe."

"Yeah, I didn't believe it at first either," said Max. "But then I discovered I was in the same situation with this charm Bakura gave me long ago. It also had an evil spirit. I'm all right now, but I'm really worried about Bakura."

"I just hope he doesn't drag Yugi into the Shadow Realm," Joey prayed. "That's not someplace you want to be."

Listening to everyone's conversations, the spirit declares, "Now that the introductions are over and done with, let's begin the duel."

Yami wasn't ready to begin yet. "First tell me why you entered the Battle City finals and what it is you hope to gain. Is it about the Millennium Items and the Millennium Star?"

The evil spirit figured it wouldn't hurt to tell Yami since he wouldn't be able to win the duel. He found his guess interesting, but decided to go further. "Perhaps, and perhaps there's something else I plan to take away from you. There is so much about this tournament that you are unaware of. So many secrets being kept from you. For instance, how do you know I might be working alone and are you sure that one of the people you believe to be your friends isn't really one of your enemies?"

"I don't believe you," Yami told him. "Lies are a part of your game."

 _Yami, wait,_ Emily thought to him. _It may not be a lie. The same evil spirit that controlled Max could also be involved._

That spirit mentally communicates with her partner. _Listen, you fool, you're giving him too much information. If we're going to succeed, we've got to keep everything brief and do what Marik expects from us._

 _That's correct_ , Marik reminds him. Thanks to their connection by the Millennium Items, he can read their minds and mentally communicate with them as well. _Unless you want me to take over your mind and duel him myself._

The evil Bakura refuses. _If you could have defeated him on your own, you would have done it by now,_ he tells Marik. _I'll take my chances._ It was now time to begin the fight that would decide the fate of mankind. One would lose everything while the other would triumph. Bakura draws his card and summons the Portrait's Secret, a fiend with 1200 attack points.

Yami wondered what he could be thinking by playing a weak monster in attack mode. It certainly wasn't one of the brightest opening moves in the game. He summoned Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts and attacked, dealing 300 points of damage. He also ended his turn by playing a card face down.

Bakura summons another weak monster called the Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams. Sure enough, he was up to something. Why else would he play weak monsters in attack mode and leave himself unprotected? Yami wasn't going to consider it. The sooner he ended the duel, the better. Yami summoned Gamma the Magnet Warrior and attacked the Gross Ghost, dealing 200 points of damage. Bakura lost 1500 more points from a direct attack Gazelle landed.

Not even the rest of the spectators could figure out what was going on. Bakura wasn't fighting back and had already lost half of his life points. _What's he doing?_ Marik asked Max. _I want that Egyptian God card!_

 _Give him time_ , Max told him. _My partner and I have a habit of toying with our opponents. I assure you, he knows what he's doing._

It didn't seem so when her partner summoned the Headless Knight, a monster with 1450 attack points. Once again, Gamma attacked his monster while Gazelle landed another direct attack. Now the evil spirit was down to his last 450 life points, but this was all part of his strategy. "It's time. You've done exactly what I've wanted you to do. Now your destruction begins," he says, drawing his card. "I hold a card in my hand with dark powers beyond your wildest imagination. Before I could play this card, I needed a bit of assistance. So thanks for your help."

The monster summoned by the spirit of the Millennium Ring was Dark Necrofear. In order to summon it, three of his monsters had to be destroyed and removed from play. And if he was willing to lose nearly all of his life points and sacrifice his monsters, then this fiend had many dangerous abilities. It was powerful and had 2200 attack points, but Bakura didn't declare an attack. He instead placed two cards face down.

Yami didn't know why Bakura decided not to attack. Was it because of his face down card? That would make sense. But it wouldn't matter because Yami had now summoned a monster capable of destroying Dark Necrofear. It was Dark Magician Girl and he revealed his hidden card Magic Formula to raise her attack points by 500. Dark Magician Girl's Dark Burning destroyed Dark Necrofear, leaving Bakura with 150 life points remaining.

But this was exactly what Bakura wanted Yami to do. "Thanks again. You've done exactly what I wanted. Don't you realize by now that I've manipulated every move you made so far? I wanted you to destroy Dark Necrofear so I could play this: Dark Sanctuary." Then a castle appeared behind him and red and black clouds coveted the arena. Within the horrific sky were eyes and mouths opening to frighten everyone.

The spirit of the Millennium Ring was playing well. He completely led Yami like a dog on a leash by setting him up for this. The horrors of Dark Sanctuary would protect Bakura and make his opponent tremble in fear. He had no monsters to protect him or fight back, but Dark Sanctuary was all he would need. Yami declared an attack, but his Magnet Warrior drained his life points instead. It turned out that the ghost of Dark Sanctuary possessed Yami's monster, taking half of its attack points from Yami's life points and giving them to Bakura. Whether one monster or all of them was possessed was something Yami would have to figure out on his own. Only Bakura could see the ghost and order it to do his bidding. But now it was Bakura's turn and he played a trap called Destiny Board. It looked like a giant Ouija board and revealed the letter 'F'. The Destiny Board would spell the next letters with the passing of each of Bakura's turns. And things were about to go from bad to worse now that Bakura had played Dark Door, a magic card that allowed Yami to only attack with one monster every turn. And he had to choose carefully. He still didn't know if all of his monsters were possessed by the evil ghost. And in order for Bakura to keep Dark Sanctuary in play, he had to sacrifice a monster. So he played Earthbound Spirit and sent it to the graveyard, ending his turn.

Yami had to make every move count and choose carefully. For all he knew, his Magnet Warrior was still possessed and would drain his life points. Dark Magician Girl was his best bet. Before declaring an attack, he summoned Kuriboh in defense mode. As Dark Magician Girl attacked, 1250 points were decreased from Yami's total life points. Bakura revealed that he could choose whatever monster to possess with the evil ghost. Not that it helped. Yami was still in a dangerous predicament. And now that his turn was over, the Destiny Board spelled another letter. It was 'I'.

Looking closely, Yami saw that each letter spelled by the Destiny Board counted as a single magic card and the duel disk had only five slots for those cards, excluding the area for field cards. In order to spell the complete message, Bakura would have to dispel his Dark Door. But that wouldn't be necessary. Dark Sanctuary allowed Bakura to play as many magic cards on the field as he wanted. To keep Dark Sanctuary in play, Bakura sacrificed Sangen. This, in turn, activated the monster's special ability, allowing Bakura to draw a monster from his deck and add it to his hand.

Yami had to choose carefully. He didn't know which monster his opponent chose the ghost to possess. He had to choose between Gamma and Dark Magician Girl since they were the only ones capable of fighting. Yami summoned Big Shield Gardna and decided to attack with Gamma because it had fewer attack points. Bakura activated his trap, Dark Spirit of the Silent, stopping Gamma's attack and forcing Dark Magician Girl to fight. Since she was possessed, Yami lost 1250 more life points. Now the score stood with Yami having 750 life points and Bakura having 3400 life points. Yami ended his turn by playing two cards face down.

The third letter revealed by the Destiny Board was 'N'. After that, Bakura sacrificed the Souls of the Forgotten to keep his Sanctuary in play. It was Yami's turn again, but he claimed to have found a way to get rid of the evil ghost. Rather than guess what monster it was possessing, Yami decided to draw it out and relinquish it. He reaveled a trap called Collected Power and used it to focus the effects of all spells in play on Kuriboh. The little monster began reading the contents of Magic Formula and the ghost possessed it. Next, Yami played Exile of the Wicked, destroying Kuriboh and the evil ghost of Dark Sanctuary.

Seeing the duel slipping out of their favor, Marik and Max decide to have a private conversation with their friend. _Just in case you haven't noticed, you've lost control of this duel_ , said Marik.

Bakura growls. _Just what do you mean?_

 _Your opponent has crushed your strategy,_ Marik clarified.

 _Go away_ , said Bakura. He already had to put up with this from Max and he certainly didn't need it from this pushover. _I don't need this._

 _Don't be a fool_ , Marik argued.

 _I said, 'go!'_

 _You and I still have an agreement with_ _Marik_ , said Max. _If we want our rewards, we'll do things his way, meaning you will listen to him. If you lose this, Marik will turn to me and cut you out of the deal._

 _I won't lose,_ the spirit of the Millennium Ring promises.

Marik disagreed. _That's hard for me to believe based on the way you've been dueling throughout the match._

 _Watch me._

 _Win this or no deal,_ Marik warned.

To end his turn, Yami played Monster Reborn and resurrected Dark Necrofear. Since destroying the fiend released the magic of Dark Sanctuary, resurrecting it to the field removed it. And since Dark Sanctuary was gone, Bakura was no longer permitted to exceed the limit of magic cards in play. His only hope of finishing the message now was to remove his Dark Door card, putting him at risk for defeat against an ambush of monsters. But right now. Yami could still only attack once, so he used Dark Necrofear to do it and drop Bakura's life points down to 1200.

The fourth letter was revealed and the message was spelling 'F-I-N-A'. Yami now knew that the word Bakura was intending to spell would be 'Final'. But in the situation he was in, Bakura would never be able to succeed in spelling it.

Marik growled. _Now what's your boyfriend doing?_ He asked Max.

 _He's trapped_ , she answered. _Can't you see it?_

 _I can_ , he answered. _Shall I control his mind and take over?_

But the spirit of the Ring could hear them and didn't appreciate being ignored. _Never_! He snapped. _I plan to overpower this pathetic duelist on my own, you fools!_ The duel was far from over and he knew how to get back in control. He summoned Jowgen the Spiritualist. It had the ability to destroy any monster that was specially summoned for the price of a card from Bakura's hand. Since Dark Necrofear was summoned by a magic card, it was destroyed by Jowgen's effect, unleashing the horrors of Dark Sanctuary once more and reawakening the evil ghost. Now Bakura would be able to play the final letter and spell 'Final', but for now, he sacrificed Jowgen to keep his Sanctuary in play and placed a card face down.

With the evil ghost back to possess Yami's monsters, he was trapped once again, even if he would attack with a monster that wasn't possessed, Bakura's Dark Spirit of the Silent would take effect and drain the rest of his life points. Yami had to believe in the Heart of the Cards. It was his only hope. He knew that the only way to win was to summon his Egyptian God card and he had to draw it. As if the Egyptian God monster itself could hear Yami's wish, it graced its presence with a lightning storm. Yami sacrificed Big Shield Gardna, Gamma the Magnet Warrior, and Dark Magician Girl to summon Slifer the Sky Dragon. The Egyptian God appeared and coiled itself around the blimp.

It was all just as Ishizu predicted. Yami struggled throughout the duel, but he managed to summon his Egyptian God card. But victory in this duel would not be enough to save mankind. She remembered that her brother still sought to obtain all three Egyptian God cards and only Yami could stop him.

The evil spirit of the Ring stepped back and stared in fear. "His Egyptian God card! How can I defeat this all powerful beast?"

 _I knew this was going to happen_ , Marik told him. _You need my help in facing this creature. The number of cards the pharaoh holds in his hands determines Slifer's attack points. Right now, he's holding three cards, giving Slifer 3000 attack points. And you have only 1200 life points remaining. So when he attacks, you'll lose._

Bakura wouldn't let that happen. The ghost of Dark Sanctuary was still in play. But the ghost was too weak and could not match the Sky Dragon's divine power. The trap card was also useless and he had no monsters on the field or any cards left in his hand. The Destiny Board was his only hope of winning. "I can't lose. There's too much at stake for me!"

 _This can't be!_ Max gasped.

 _It's not over yet_ , Marik assured her. He still figured he could turn this to his advantage.

Yami was about to declare an attack until his Millennium Puzzle reacted to a disturbing presence. Emily felt it too with her Millennium Star. Then everyone saw Odion approaching the arena with the Millennium Rod in his hand. "You may want to think before attacking with Slifer the Sky Dragon," he warned Yami.

"What do you want, Marik?" Yami asked.

"Listen carefully, Bakura is now under the control of the Millennium Rod and he will only do what I command him to do."

"What? How can that be? I thought the spirit of the Millennium Ring was controlling Bakura."

"True," said Odion, "but now I am controlling Bakura and the spirit and now I shall prove it by freeing your friend's mind."

Listening to Odion's words, Bakura asks Marik what this is about. _What do you think you're doing, Marik?_ Even Max was confused.

 _The only way to win this duel is for you to release the mind of the boy you control,_ Marik tells him. _Your opponent won't attack his friend._

The evil spirit does as told and dispatches the real Bakura. He gets on his knees and holds his injured arm. "My arm, it hurts," he whimpers. "Yugi, help me. I don't know where I am. What am I doing here in this duel?" He lifts his sleeve and looks at the bandage around his arm, asking what happened.

"As you can see, your friend is in pain," Odion explained. "Without the spirit of the Millennium Ring, he is weak. That is why I advise you to reconsider your move. The devastating attack caused by Slifer the Sky Dragon could make your friend's condition even worse. Are you willing to risk the health of your friend?"

"Only a coward would do such a thing to win a duel!" Yami snapped.

But it only gets difficult as he hears Bakura whimpering and begging for help. "I don't feel very well, Yugi."

Yami tries to cross the arena to help him, but Roland stops him. "You are not allowed to have contact with your opponent during a duel. Take one more step and you will be disqualified."

"Stop the duel!" Max cries. "Can't you see Bakura is hurt?" But the evil spirit controlling her knew that this was perfect. With the boy in need of medical attention, Yami will forfeit everything. Roland wasn't making it easier for him either.

The pain starts reducing Bakura to tears and putting him on the brink of collapsing. "Yugi, help," he begs.

Listening to the people around him, Yami knows he must make a decision. If he doesn't continue the duel, he'll be disqualified. If he attacks, the pain could inflict greater injury on Bakura. It would be heartless to risk the health of an innocent friend to save mankind. That's why Yami knows he must make his choice now.

 _You were right_ , said the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard. _Yugi would never hurt his friend. But that's only unless he doesn't want to lose everything._ Her partner gasps as he listens to what she just said. He also listens to his host as he continues whimpering and whining. _You know what you need to do_ , Max tells her partner. _But for your own sake, not his._

The spirit of the Millennium Ring did know what needed to be done, so he listened to his partner. _I must step in. I still need Bakura and I can't risk his health. He holds the Millennium Ring and my spirit. I must protect him._ Then he steps back into the duel. "I'm back, Yugi," he says, laughing. "You may be willing to risk your friend's health, but I'm not. I still need him. If you plan on using your Egyptian God card, use it on me. Come on, Yugi!" Yami wastes no more time and declares his attack. _Yugi's won this duel, but I'll return soon to claim what I desire_ , the spirit of the Ring wonders as Slifer's Thunderforce strikes him. As the attack subsides, Bakura falls and lies on his back.

Finally, the arena is lowered and all of Yugi's friends surround their injured friend. "Bakura," Max calls. "Can you hear me, Bakura? Come on, stay with us."

Bakura moans. "Max? Where are we?"

"We're with our friends," she answers.

"He doesn't look very good," said Serenity. "We need to get him to a doctor."

"Let's get him to his room first," Tristan says. Joey and Duke help set him on his back.

This was difficult for Yami and Yugi. If the evil spirit didn't return to protect Bakura, they would have lost everything for sure. Yugi began to see that the spirits within the Puzzle and Ring might not be so different. They have different attributes and goals, but they both need a host in order to survive. The spirit came back because if Bakura got injured or even killed by Slifer's attack, it meant ending his existence as well. But still, Yami was a friend and the evil spirit was a foe.

They finally got Bakura to his room and set him on his bed. Duke got an idea. "Hey, Emily, think you can help Bakura by performing one of your healing spells?"

"I've been trying, but for some reason, my powers are being blocked. I don't understand. It can't be Marik because he said my powers are too strong for him to match. Only another force equal to mine can dispel my magic."

"A lot of crazy stuff went down in that duel," said Joey. "Especially when Marik showed up. What exactly happened back there?"

"Based on what I was seeing, clearly Marik didn't want Bakura to lose to Yugi," Max suggested. "Before Yugi commenced his attack, Marik freed the Bakura we know from the evil controlling him. Since he was injured, Marik knew Yugi would forfeit out of concern for his friend. But the spirit knew Yugi would attack, so he regained control."

"Hold on," Joey was saying. "So the evil spirit of the Millennium Ring let Yugi win?"

"Yes," she answered. "The spirit of the Ring knew the danger he and Bakura were in. So he protected his host because he needs him in order to survive. Our friend was spared from harm, but he's still suffering from his previous injuries."

"If I didn't know any better," Emily was saying, "Marik and the evil spirit were working together in a plot to take Yugi down. But I think that's the least of our worries now. I just hope that evil spirit doesn't plan on coming back to cause more harm."

"So then what are we going to do?" Tristan asked.

"We've got to get him to a doctor," said Joey. "So I say we get Kaiba to land this blimp and get Bakura to the hospital."

"Go ahead. I'll stay here and keep an eye on Bakura," Max insisted. "Knowing him, he'll feel safe and better if I'm close to him."

Everyone nods and heads out, but as Yugi stands up, he notices that the Millennium Ring is missing. This was strange. Bakura had it in his possession right before the duel ended. If it got blasted from the attack, then everyone figured they had nothing to worry about. Yugi and Emily felt differently. They feared that the Millennium Ring would find its way back to Bakura again like before. But that wasn't important right now. Everyone's first concern was tending to Bakura's needs.


	29. Rage of the Egyptian Gods

Rage of the Egyptian Gods

Yugi and his friends didn't know which room belonged to Kaiba. Mokuba helped them and pointed to the door with the number one marked on it. Joey pounded on the door, yelling for Kaiba to come out so they could see him. Kaiba opened the door. "If it isn't Wheeler," he greeted unpleasantly. "You're lucky to even be in my tournament, yet you insist on making a nuisance of yourself over and over again." He really didn't want to put up with this, but he decided to get it over with and invited everyone to step inside.

Yugi decides to get to the point. "We need your help, Kaiba. You've got to land the blimp so we can get Bakura to a hospital."

Kaiba immediately refused. "You're asking me to do the impossible. We can't make an unscheduled stop."

"You're very well of Bakura's condition, Kaiba, and you know he needs help," said Emily. "Can't you take some responsibility and help him?"

"Please, Kaiba, this is really important. Show some compassion," Serenity begged. "Isn't someone's health more important than your game?" Seeing Kaiba look at her, Serenity lowers her head and asks for his help.

"This is Bakura's own fault," said Kaiba. "He shouldn't have left the hospital in the first place."

"He may have risked his own health, but we can't leave him to suffer!" Emily tells him.

Kaiba had his own way of helping himself and everyone else. He wasn't responsible for the dangers Bakura put himself in or pain he brought upon himself, but he had to take some responsibility in helping him. He pushed the intercom and sent for the onboard medical staff to examine and look after Bakura. Mokuba assured Yugi and the others that Bakura was in good hands because the doctors onboard had better training than the medical experts at most hospitals.

They left Kaiba's room feeling better now that Bakura would be taken care of. Tristan thought Serenity was being really brave by standing up to Kaiba when she saw him denying everyone's request and complemented her. "It was cool how you stood up to Kaiba."

Duke agrees and holds Serenity's hands in his. "Never have I been so moved by a speech. Oh, Serenity, it's like your words were spoken from the voice of an angel!" Serenity was beginning to see Duke for the kind of boy Max warned her he was. She even sighed of relief when Tristan pulled him away from her. Before the first duel, Max and Serenity were idly conversing. Max had nothing personal against Serenity. In fact, she actually thought she was a good kid. And Serenity was very grateful to Max for looking out for her when Joey was on his way for the operation. The girls had become good friends. Seeing Duke flirting with Serenity disgusted Max and she warned the auburn girl to be cautious around him.

Tristan decided it would be a good idea to look for the Millennium Ring. He decided that this time, it would be wise to hold onto it instead of trying to get rid of it. That way, Bakura couldn't get it back. He decided to go back to the stratos dueling arena and take Duke with him. There was nothing for him to be jealous of because Serenity didn't even like Duke, but he couldn't help how he felt. He just cared too much. Tristan takes Duke with him to the elevator. Duke struggles to get away, calling Serenity's name, but Tristan keeps holding on to him with his hand over his mouth.

They checked the arena for barely a few minutes. "I don't see anything up here," said Duke. "Let's move on."

"Stop complaining and keep looking," Tristan ordered.

"There's nothing up here but hot air," Duke smartly remarked. "And it's all coming from you. What's the matter with you anyway?"

Tristan decides to spill it. "You've been a pain in my neck ever since I ran into you today. So I want you to chill out."

"What's that supposed to mean, tough guy?"

"I'm telling you to lay off Serenity," Tristan answered. "Give the girl some space."

Duke could plainly see that Tristan was jealous. "Do you know what your problem is, Tristan? You're afraid that Serenity may like me more than she may like you."

Tristan's face turns red. "No, I'm not," he says, a little embarrassed.

Duke scoffed. "It's not my fault if ladies can't resist Duke Devlin. I guess I could turn down the charm a little."

"Don't push me," Tristan warned.

But he wouldn't stop. "Well, what do you expect? You're not even a duelist. You're just some wannabe cheerleader shouting from the sidelines, 'Go, Yugi! Go, Joey!' It's really kind of pathetic. Girls dig men of action and you, well, you're no man of action."

That was enough for Tristan. He charged towards Duke and pushed him, but he slipped as well. It was too late for them to get back their balance and now they were hanging from the edge of the deck. Tristan was hanging on to the rail for dear life and holding Duke's hand with the other. They both tried calling out for help, but clearly no one was coming. What was worse was Tristan was losing his grip and felt like his arms were going to tear from his body. His hand slipped, but he didn't fall. Tristan looked up and saw a strange man holding on to his hand and pulling him and Duke up.

"That was not fun," Duke said, catching his breath.

"Who are you?" Tristan asked. "You saved our lives. How can we repay you?" But he looked and saw that the man was gone. "Where'd he go?"

"Something wrong, Tristan?"

"He's gone. The guy who saved our hides just disappeared."

"What are you talking about?" Duke didn't know what happened because he was looking down most of the time. Tristan didn't bother explaining. He instead decided that they should rejoin the rest of their friends.

Yugi was back in his room looking over the cards in his deck. He was glad to have made it through the first round. Emily was happy too, but she was also mad at herself. She felt helpless because she didn't do a thing to help Bakura back in the duel. And she still couldn't do anything because her powers were being blocked. Who or what was blocking her powers confused her.

She holds her hands together and a light shines inside. "My powers seem to be working now," she says. "I can go back to Bakura's room and help him."

"That's good," said Yugi. "But I think we should just let him rest for now."

"I guess you're right," Emily tells him. "He's been through enough as it is." She sighs in frustration. "I'm such an idiot. I feel completely helpless. I'm supposed to help you and Yami save mankind and I can't even protect my own friends."

"You shouldn't be mad at yourself," Yugi tells her. "There are still many powers you have that we don't know about. Even if you wanted to step in and take action, you probably wouldn't know what to do. You're still just beginning to understand your powers."

"Yeah, but still-," she stops herself.

"What's wrong?"

"I sense another Millennium Item. It's here in this room."

Then they both look up and face the door. Standing before them is the same man who helped Duke and Tristan. Yugi recognized him. "I remember you, you're Shadi."

"Yes, and you've learned so much since we met in Duelist Kingdom, Yugi." He turns to Emily and tells her, "And, Princess Emily, it is an honor to be in your presence. I knew that one day you would return and we would meet. You've grown so beautifully. And you and Yugi are beginning to understand the powers of the Great Goddess and the mysteries of the ancient past as well as your destinies."

Emily could now see that this man was a friend and meant no harm. "Well, we know a little bit about the Millennium Star and the Items, but not much about the Great Goddess herself."

"Did you come here to explain a little more about it to us," Yugi asked, "because we're still confused."

There actually wasn't much Shadi could tell them except that he was the guardian of the Millennium Items and that the reason he was here was because he sensed a disturbance in the mystical alignment once again. He would be able to tell Emily and Yugi about that matter though. "Right now, all seven Millennium Items and the Millennium Star are onboard this vessel. And so are the three Egyptian God cards. Which means the forces capable of saving the world as well as destroying it are right here."

"Really?" Yugi asked.

Shadi nods. "The world's safety rests with you and the princess, Yugi. Heed my words. If the wrong individuals were to gain Millennia's power or the Egyptian God cards, the results could be catastrophic. It nearly happened once before when Pegasus created Duel Monsters. It all began when Pegasus first arrived in Egypt. He was searching for a way to reunite with his lost love. His quest brought him to me and I presented him with the Millennium Eye, for he was destined to possess it.

"Soon after, he discovered the origins of the ancient Shadow Games. Pegasus became obsessed with these games and dedicated his life to creating them. He sought to resurrect the ancient mystical powers he discovered, but to his surprise, it almost destroyed him. Pegasus did not know his limits, be he discovered he would soon unleash a power far beyond his control."

Yugi and Emily were surprised at what they were hearing, but they asked Shadi to continue. "I'm still confused, Shadi," said Emily. "How exactly did Duel Monsters start?"

"Pegasus' obsession over the ancient games grew deeper. By recreating the game, he reawakened the Egyptian Gods."

"And that almost destroyed him?" Yugi asked.

Shadi nods and explains his story. Pegasus dedicated his life to reinventing the game of Duel Monsters and wanted the Egyptian Gods to be a part of it. He returned to Egypt to find the relics depicting the divine monsters. He searched the entire desert and investigated every tomb, but to no avail. But Pegasus wouldn't give up. Shadi knew of Pegasus' struggle and decided to help him. The Egyptian Gods had been sealed and protected alongside the pharaoh's tomb. Fortunately, he knew how to find the tomb and decided to lead Pegasus and his team of archeologists to it.

Below the desert sands was a secret civilization populated by people who had been guarding the pharaoh's tomb for centuries until his return. With the magic of his Millennium Key, Shadi and the others were concealed. They could not be seen or heard by the guards. They traveled for what seemed like hours until finally, Shadi brought them to the tomb. He permitted Pegasus' team to take photographs and record the journey on tape, but warned them not to reveal or remove anything discovered. It all had to be kept secret.

"This moment will make my entire trip worthwhile," Pegasus said as he entered the chamber. And it was worthwhile, for he found what he was looking for. He came to the resting place of the Egyptian God tablets and saw the images of the divine beasts. "There they are!" Pegasus cried in triumph. "The Winged Dragon of Ra! Obelisk the Tormentor! Slifer the Sky Dragon! Hello, my ancient friends! It's a pleasure to meet you! At last, I can unlock the secret powers of the three Egyptian God monsters! Once I immortalize these beautiful creatures in print, my Duel Monsters card game will be complete!" He continued to unleash his excitement as his team took photographs and recorded everything.

Triumphant, Pegasus returned to America to design the cards based upon the images he saw. Little did Pegasus know that he was about to unleash a great threat. Not even Shadi knew for sure if he would be able to comprehend the power of the Egyptian Gods. He knew Pegasus was destined to reawaken the Egyptian God cards, but whether or not he would be able to control their power would soon be found out.

Signs bringing about the answer were showing. "So let's see if I understand you correctly," Pegasus was saying to Croquet, "You say everyone involved in my Egyptian God card project has met with disaster?"

"Yes, sir," Croquet answered. "Each one has disappeared, and I mean completely gone, without a single trace. I can only think of one solution: you must stop the production of these cards."

"Never!" Pegasus shouted, pounding his fist on his desk. "The production of the cards is essential to my game and to the entire corporation! We can't let these little incidents stop us; we're on the verge of making history here, Croquet! I don't care if the cards are cursed. I'll do it myself, under the protection of my Millennium Eye!"

And he did so. Pegasus returned to his private home and designed images for the monsters for their cards. He even managed to see what they really looked like through his Millennium Eye. He finished the portraits for the designs and fell asleep. Nothing happened so far until he started having a nightmare. But it wasn't really a nightmare. The Great Goddess Millennia was trying to convey a message to him through the vision.

"What's going on? And where am I?" Pegasus asked. Looking around, he saw Egypt being attacked by the Egyptian Gods.

Shadi appeared and told him what was going on. "Hear me, Pegasus, by attempting to recreate the images of the Egyptian God monsters, you've unleashed a dangerous force far beyond your comprehension and have put the people at risk."

Pegasus continued to watch the scene. "Even if it is true, I'll accept the burden of these cards as my own and contain their great powers! But I must bring the legacy of Duel Monsters to a new millennium!" But the Great Goddess herself would not be able to protect him from this.

It was now clear to Shadi that Pegasus was not meant to control the Egyptian Gods. "Your only hope is to return these monsters to their resting place. If not, they will consume you and the entire world," Shadi warned Pegasus. And all three of the monsters unleashed their wrath on Pegasus by attacking him.

The shock woke Pegasus and made him realize the meaning behind it all. "I've angered the Egyptian Gods!" he said fearfully. "And I felt their rage!" He stared at his hands and found himself shaking. "That wasn't a dream. It was a warning from Millennia herself. Their powers were very real. Shadi's words were true. Now I must lock the cards away or face destruction!"

Pegasus completed the first cards and brought them back with him to Egypt. He knew the cards had to be sealed alongside the pharaoh's tomb. It was the only way to spare the world from destruction. Ishizu welcomed Pegasus. "I have been awaiting your return to the land of the pharaohs. I am Ishizu Ishtar. Come with me." And with Ishizu's help, Pegasus buried the cards away. But it wasn't long until Marik began to seek out the cards. He got two of them, but Ishizu saved the last one in time. It came to no surprise to Marik that his elder sister would take the card and give it to Kaiba. The Ishtars knew that if Kaiba got one of the cards, he would seek out the other two by throwing a tournament out of greed.

Shadi didn't reveal that last matter. He concluded his story to Yugi and Emily by saying, "If Marik were to obtain all three of the Egyptian God cards, the results would be devastating."

The Millennium Puzzle activates and Yami steps in. "I can assure you, Marik will never hold all three Egyptian God cards."

Shadi gets down to kneel. "My pharaoh, it is an honor for me to be in your presence once again. I have great confidence in you. I know you will restore order to the world and put an end to this chaos just as you did five thousand years ago. My complete faith is in you."

Yami and Emily heard the announcement that it was almost time for the next duel of the finals to begin. They still had much to talk about with Shadi, but noticed that he was already gone. It was weird that he just disappeared, but they agreed that it was time to join their friends in the main concourse. They saw everyone in the hall and heard Tristan explaining how a mysterious man showed up and saved him and Duke from falling to their death. Joey and Serenity weren't sure about it. Emily asked them to fill her and Yami in.

Ishizu remained in her room, once again refusing to join the other finalists. Her presence was still not required, it seemed. She was lost in her thoughts until she noticed Shadi sitting beside her. Ishizu was startled, but at the same time, she wasn't very surprised to see him. "With so much at stake, I should have known you'd be here," she tells him.

"Yes, evil once again walks the earth bringing madness in its wake."

Ishizu sighs. "I just never thought my own brother would be the medium for this evil. Oh, Marik. The world must be saved, but at what cost? I don't want to lose my brother." She looks away for one moment, but when she looks back, Shadi is already gone.

He came to Bakura's room and used his Millennium Key to conceal himself from Max. It was in this very room that the disturbance was being sensed. Shadi could sense that the power of the Gods was being tampered with once again through the Millennium Items. The world would be in grave peril until harmony could be restored and only Millennia's chosen warriors had the power to restore harmony.


	30. Matching Ancient Forces

Matching Ancient Forces

Now that everyone was present, it was time for the next duel to be decided. The selector activated and the first sphere was released. Printed on it was the number two and that was Joey's number. The second sphere to be released had the number seven printed on it, which was Odion's. He still used Marik's name, but it was what he and his master wanted.

 _Joey's facing Marik_ , Emily thought to herself. _No denying that scoundrel plans to use his Millennium Rod to change the game and make things work in his favor. Joey's just going to have to be ready for anything._

But this was what Joey wanted; to get back at the man who tried to turn him against his friends. But he needed to keep it together and control his rage. It was time to begin the duel, but Joey kept growling and shuffling his opponent's deck. Finally, both duelists returned their decks and took their positions on the arena.

Serenity looked down. "I hope Joey's okay," she said, noticing his behavior.

Then Tea remembered. "Serenity, this is your first time watching your brother duel, isn't it?"

Max smiles and places her hand on Serenity's shoulder. "With you cheering him on, there's no way your big brother will lose," she promised.

Joey began shooting his mouth off, promising to take out his opponent in nine turns. All of his friends were used to hearing Joey talk nonsense. It was natural for him to say things of uncertainty when angry or enraged. Odion wasn't intimidated. He reaches back and takes out the Millennium Rod.

 _I knew it!_ Emily wondered. _That coward can't battle on his own, so he intends to use his Millennium Rod!_

Joey was scared at first, but he got it back together. "Point that somewhere else and duel like a man," he demanded, not wanting to go through the hell he was put through again.

"Very well," Odion said, placing it in his belt.

"Look, Marik-," Joey interrupts himself and asks, "Did you say, 'very well?'"

Emily sighed of relief. _I guess Marik realizes by now that Joey's too strong for his control. That's why Joey broke free last time._

The true Marik watched in pleasure. Thing were going according to plan as his minions would continue to fight his battles for him. But he still had some concerns about the ancient struggle being played out again. Kaiba also played a significant role in the ancient past as one of the greatest sorcerers in Egypt. He even possessed the Millennium Rod as well. So Marik decided to keep a close eye on Kaiba as he was doing to Yugi and Emily.

Mokuba remembered that Marik was the leader of the Rare Hunters and probably possessed dozens, maybe hundreds of rare cards in his disposal. Kaiba wondered the same thing, but there was really only one rare card he cared about and that was the final Egyptian God card. He secretly hoped that Joey would last long enough in the duel for the card to be played.

Mentally, Marik warned Odion to duel with caution. He remembered that Joey was stronger than he took him for and if Odion couldn't defeat him, he wouldn't have a chance against Yami. But Odion promised his master that he would defeat Joey.

As for Joey's friends, they had their uncertainties about how the duel would go. He never even took back his Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Joey was a strong duelist, but he's never faced an opponent like Odion before and after seeing the evil acts Marik committed, neither of them could be trusted.

Joey's rage turned into misguided hope. He thought to himself that if he defeated Marik, he would fulfill his promise to his friends and help them save the world. Thinking about it made him lose his grip on the cards in his hand. The wind carried them, but he managed to catch them in his hands and even in his teeth.

This was already embarrassing. "Hey, Joey," Duke called. "You might want to actually hold on to your cards for the duel."

"Come on, you big fool," Emily groaned, "What are you doing?"

"You guys, Joey needs our support. Nice catch, big brother!" Serenity calls to him. She just couldn't help being positive. It was a good thing, but it wouldn't last.

Joey places the cards back in his hands. He was starting to have second thoughts on his opinions about dueling in the sky with the unpredictable weather. He makes his first move and summons Gearfried the Iron Knight in attack mode. Odion made his move by playing a field card knows as Temple of the Kings. An ancient sanctuary appeared behind him, guarding the treasure of the pharaohs and holding many secrets. It had the power to limit the number of spells and traps Joey could play in a turn. The rest of its powers would soon be revealed. Odion ended his move by placing two cards face down.

It was plain to see that Joey had no idea of the power he was up against. The Temple of the Kings possessed many secrets and that seemed to be everyone's concern. But right now, he needed to focus on the issue at hand. He looked at the cards in his hand and assumed he had a plan that would bring him in a blaze of victory. One of the cards was Giant Trunade and that gave him an idea. He would build up his arsenal and let his opponent play more spells and traps. After that, he would activate Giant Trunade to send all the spells and traps on the field back to Odion's hand, including the Temple of the Kings. With no defenses, Odion would be vulnerable to attack and Joey would win the duel.

The first monster Joey summoned to build up his arsenal was Little-Winguard. As he predicted, Odion played more cards face down on the field. Now he had four more spells and traps to protect him. The next monster Joey summoned was an armored falcon with 1000 attack points called Hayabusa Knight. Altogether, his monsters had 4200 attack points, more than enough to take out Odion's life points. He was ready to put his plan into action and activate Giant Trunade. But it wouldn't be so easy. The effect of Joey's card came to a halt and ended. It turned out that Joey's card activated a dangerous trap that could destroy it. But that wasn't all that happened. The trap was called Judgement of Anubis. The Egyptian Lord of the dead would drag all of Joey's monsters to the netherworld and take half of their attack points from Joey's life points. Now Joey had 1900 life points remaining. Trap cards are the most tricky and most dangerous cards in the game and Joey learned that the hard way.

Joey didn't want Odion to sense his fear, so he put on a convincing act by claiming to deliberately fall victim to his trap so he could test his opponent's strengths and weaknesses. But Serenity was the only one who seemed to be convinced. "I knew it! Joey had this planned the whole time!"

Max knew Serenity couldn't help being optimistic, but she needed a reality check. _Will someone please buy this girl a clue?_

Even Mokuba could tell that the others weren't convinced. Still, he had to give Joey credit for being able to keep it together and staying strong. The only thing Kaiba would ever give Joey credit for was being all talk and no action.

Now that Joey knew what he was up against, it was time for him to get serious. But it was still Odion's turn and he ended his move by placing two cards face down. Joey was becoming irritated that Odion still hadn't summoned a monster. Not that there was anything he could do about it. There wasn't a rule in the game that prohibited players from playing nothing but spells and traps. He just summoned Alligator's Sword in attack mode and played a card face down. Odion drew his card, but ended his turn without playing a card. Joey could see that Odion was trying to lure him into attacking, but didn't want to force himself to become a victim. So Joey made the same move by drawing a card and passing. But he only did that because he wanted to when he knew he could have made a different move. Odion did the same thing once again.

Joey was fed up and didn't care what kind of traps would be sprung if he attacked. So he summoned Rocket Warrior and ordered it to attack. One of Odion's traps was activated. It was the Eye of Wadjet, forcing Rocket Warrior under Odion's control and being sent back to attack Alligator's Sword. Because the monsters had equal attack points, they would destroy each other. But Joey activated Fairy Box. Rocket Warrior landed in one of the holes, only to miss attacking as Alligator's Sword emerged from another hole.

Joey's trap spared both of his monsters, but once again, he fell victim to another trap. Joey was half right when he assumed that Odion's deck didn't contain many monsters, but it also contained a card that had the powers of a trap and a monster. The trap monster was called Embodiment of Apophis and Odion had three of them on the field. They were serpent-like warriors with 1600 attack points.

Right now, Joey's first priority was protecting his life points. They were low and the serpent warriors could take them out with ease. He played a card face down and switched Alligator's Sword to defense mode. All three Embodiments of Apophis were declared to attack. Joey revealed his hidden card Scapegoat, but all four sheep tokens disappeared once they showed up on the field. Odion activated another trap called Magic Jammer and removed a card from his hand to destroy Joey's magic card. With his only two monsters gone and having to face a direct attack, Joey was down to a sparse 200 life points. As he was recovering from the attack, it became clear to him that he was no match for his opponent. Joey was about to place his hand over his deck to forfeit.

"Don't even think about it," Max said to him.

Joey slightly turned to face her. "Why not?"

"The Joey I know never gave up when the odds were against him and I'm not about to see him do such a stupid thing now. You continued to fight until the very end. You've worked too hard to get to the finals and you're not about to throw it all away. If you do, you'll always be remembered as a runner-up instead of a champion."

Thinking about what Max is saying, Joey remembered how tough the rest of his opponents were in the tournament and how he never gave up.

"Joey!" Serenity cries out. "You can still win!" She approaches the arena and continues, "I don't know anyone stronger than you and you inspire me every single day. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have gotten my sight back. Not because you came for my surgery, but because you gave me the courage to go through with it. Then when it was over, you gave me the strength to take off my bandages and face the world. When my world was dark, you gave me light. You've never given up before and you shouldn't start today. You've always pulled through and I know you can win."

Listening to his sister, Joey gets back on his feet. He came to realize that if he forfeited the match, he wouldn't just be letting down the people he promised to help, but also himself. It was true he wanted to win, but he had important things to remember, like the promise he made to his friends about helping save mankind. He wasn't willing to go back on his promise now. He also knew the Heart of the Cards would continue to see him through as long as he continued to believe. Finally, Joey places two cards face down and plays Swordsman of Landstar in defense mode.

Odion was about to finish Joey off with his Embodiments of Apophis, but Joey was ready. One of his face down cards was Foolish Burial, a magic card that allowed him to transfer a card from his hand to his opponent's graveyard. His second hidden card was Graverobber and he used it to bring that card to the field. The card was Jinzo and thanks to its special ability, all of Odion's traps, including the trap monsters were removed from the field. Joey was glad to have Jinzo in his deck. He won it in his first victory in the tournament and its power was going to help him win.

It was Joey's turn again. He summoned Battle Warrior in attack mode and switched his Swordsman into attack mode as well. All of Joey's monsters attacked and reduced Odion's life points to 400. Now the duel was looking good as the score was nearly tied.

All of Joey's friends cheered, but Marik wasn't going to tolerate this, so he spoke to his right hand servant. _Listen to me, Odion, you've allowed Joey Wheeler to come too far. Destroy him at once or face severe consequences. He's worthless, you fool._

Odion assured his master that he had a way to turn the duel in his favor. He played Swords of Revealing Light, rendering Joey's monsters useless for three turns. Although Joey wouldn't be able to attack, his monsters' abilities would remain in effect and he could still sacrifice his monsters. So he sacrificed Battle Warrior and summoned Legendary Fisherman in defense mode. He also switched the rest of his monsters to defense mode to protect his life points. Odion drew his card, but was shocked to see what it was.

 _Why do you seem so shocked, Odion?_ Marik asked him. _Since you're posing as me, you should have my card in your deck._

But Odion begged Marik to reconsider. _This card is dangerous and I'm not meant to control its power. You can't expect me to play it._

 _Stop whimpering_ , Marik ordered. _I command you to play the card. It's the only way to win this duel. You must place it within the sacred arc on the Temple's steps and when the time is right, you will unleash its power!_

Emily could see that there was something suspicious about Odion's behavior based on his shocked expression. She shared her thoughts about the matter with Yugi and he agreed. _I think you're right_ , he thought to her. _Ever since Marik drew his last card, he's been acting really strange. I wonder if it has something to do with the ancient Temple behind him. When he first played Temple of the Kings, I had a bad feeling about that arc on the steps_.

 _Me too, but what could it be_? Emily wondered. _For some reason, it seems familiar to me, but I'm not sure why._

Odion knew the consequences he would face if he disobeyed his master, giving him no choice but to carry out his orders. First he played a card face down and sealed the card within the arc just as his master told him to. "You have no idea what I've just done by securing this all powerful card within the Temple of the Kings. By sealing this card of the Gods, I have also sealed your fate!"

"Card of the Gods?" Yami and Emily echoed.

Joey wasn't scared. He wouldn't have to be until whatever was in the sanctuary would be unleashed. Joey played Monster Reborn to resurrect Alligator's Sword. Next he sacrificed his reptile and his Swordsman of Landstar to summon Insect Queen. This was quite an accomplishment for Joey seeing that every card he won in the tournament was out in the field. Even Kaiba seemed a little amazed that his tournament did wonders for Joey's deck. Joey still had to wait one more turn for the Swords of Revealing Light to lose their effect so he could be free to attack again.

But Odion had been putting another plan into motion. The effects of his Swords brought him the time he needed to prepare unleashing the greatest monster in his deck, the guardian of the Temple of the Kings. He played Cup of Sealed Soul and his face down card Seal of Serket. With the two cards in play along with Temple of the Kings, the sacred guardian would arise. The monster Odion brought forth was a great red scorpion called the Mystical Beast of Serket. But as overwhelming as the Temple's guardian appeared to be, Odion revealed that what Joey really had to be afraid of was the card in the arc; the Winged Dragon of Ra.


	31. Awakening of Evil

Awakening of Evil

Now Joey was scared. He didn't have a monster powerful enough to stand against the Mystical Beast. As for Odion, he was still against the thought of having to use the Egyptian God card because of its incomprehensive divine power. But he had no choice but to duel as Marik would.

But Marik revealed to Odion that the card in his deck was a copy and the real card was in his possession. Marik couldn't risk losing the most powerful monster in all of Duel Monsters, so he had his Rare Hunters produce several counterfeits, complete with all the power of the original and just as dangerous. The Rare Hunters tested each card in every duel, but each result ended in disaster as every one of them angered the Gods and felt their wrath. It was then that Marik knew that only certain individuals with links to the ancient ways could comprehend the power of the Egyptian Gods. Marik believed that Odion was one of those individuals, but Odion didn't want to take that chance. He knew he could win with his Mystical Beast and that was all he would need.

Joey drew his card. Unfortunately, it was Polymerization and of no use to him, so he ended his turn. The first monster the Mystical Beast attacked was Jinzo. It also absorbed half of its attack points, making it stronger and having 3700 attack points. There was still nothing Joey could do, so he passed once again. The Mystical Beast attacked the Insect Queen and gained 1100 more attack points.

This was too much for Serenity to take in. She just wanted it to stop. She was about to run away and leave until her brother stopped her. "Please don't leave, Serenity. I need you. I can't win this duel without your help. You're my biggest inspiration, Sis."

"Do you mean that?"

"Absolutely," Joey answered. "Where do you think I get all my courage from? You, of course. You're my family and I need you to stay and continue to support me. It's the only way I can win."

Serenity dries her eyes and rejoins the rest of her friends. "You've got it, big brother."

Seeing this, Odion reflects on his early years. It had been too long since he felt the same comfort and support the two siblings were sharing. It was a long time ago, but he remembered it very well. It was the dark of the night and he had been left alone. But then a woman came to his rescue and decided to raise him as her own. The years went by and Odion was happy with his new family, but he discovered that his adopted parents were the leaders of a clan of tomb keepers and it was their heritage to guard the pharaoh's tomb until his return.

"For generations, our clan has served the pharaoh by guarding his sacred tomb," said Master Ishtar.

His wife agreed. "We have also been safeguarding the shard of the Millennium Star in hopes of one day finding his daughter, the princess, and helping her to achieve her destiny."

"But now our future is in jeopardy. Who will watch over the Millennium Star shard and the Rod and Necklace if we have no children? For five thousand years, we've waited in the darkness for the pharaoh's return. We cannot fail him now."

"But we have Odion. He can carry out our legacy. Why don't you give him the tomb keeper's initiation?" Mistress Ishtar suggested.

Master Ishtar refused. "I already told you, Odion is not our flesh and blood."

"He's our only hope," his wife debated. "It was fate that brought him to us that day." So the Ishtars agreed that if they were not blessed with children of their own in the future, Odion would receive the initiation on his twelfth birthday. Odion overheard their discussion and was looking forward to that day.

Eventually, Mistress Ishtar gave birth to a daughter and decided to name her Ishizu. Master Ishtar was not satisfied. He still wanted a son of his own to carry out his legacy. Mistress Ishtar saw her husband's disappointment and decided to try again for him. But she didn't forget the promise she and her husband made to Odion.

Finally, Mistress Ishtar decided to talk to her adopted son. "My dear Odion, you know I've always thought of you as my son, but you cannot assume the family legacy until you have gone through the tomb keeper's initiation. And you will receive this sacred rite on your twelfth birthday."

Odion was excited, but he wanted to be sure. "How will this change me?"

"You will bear the ancient scriptures, my child," she answered. "That is, if you truly wish to become a tomb keeper."

"Of course!" Odion would do anything to truly be a part of his family. "Mother, does this mean I'll be exactly like you and Father?"

"Yes, my child," Mistress Ishtar promised. "You will truly be our son."

But that promise was never fulfilled. Odion's twelfth birthday came, but Mistress Ishtar became pregnant again and her husband wanted to wait. She gave birth to a son and he was named Marik. After that, Mistress Ishtar died from the fatigue of childbirth. When she drew her last breath, Odion promised her that he would always protect Marik and Ishizu.

It was Marik he had to watch out for and that was no easy task. When protecting the only son of a tomb keeper, no mistake goes unpunished. The years went by and Marik grew up happy like any child would when beginning to live. Odion carried out his promise and protected Marik as best as he could. But for every mistake, simple and severe, Master Ishtar punished him. Marik and Odion were playing together one day until a cobra bit him. Marik came down with a high fever and could barely breathe.

Master Ishtar harshly disciplined Odion. "Unacceptable! You vowed to us that you would protect Marik and now look at him! He's my family's future!"

"I'm sorry, Master," Odion weakly groaned.

"Sorry isn't enough!" Master Ishtar reprimanded. "Marik's my flesh and blood! He must carry out my legacy!" He finally released Odion. "Don't you dare leave Marik's side until his fever has passed and he is well. I command you."

Master Ishtar left and Odion approached the bedside. Marik opened his eyes and tried to speak. "I'm sorry, big brother. It was all my fault."

"Don't let your father hear you say that."

Marik weakly lifts his hand. "Forget him. You will _alway_ s be my big brother, Odion."

Seeing him like this, Odion could see that Marik had inherited his mother's kind and caring spirit as well as his father's physical appearance. He got down and held Marik's hand in his. "Thank you. I'll never let you down again, Master Marik," he promises, letting his tears land on his hands. "Please forgive me. I promise to _always_ protect you."

Marik recovered from his fever, but things began to be much harder for him. He was coming of age for when it would be time to receive the tomb keeper's initiation. Against his wishes, he devoted his life to the ancient scriptures, learning all that his father knew before him. Marik knew it was his destiny, but he wanted his freedom more than anything else. This wasn't the life he chose and he didn't want to live the rest of it this way.

That night, Odion sensed Marik was upset and asked him what his problem was. Marik confessed his problems and said, "Soon I'll receive the tomb keeper's initiation. Then it will be my job to wait here for the pharaoh to return while everyone else will be looking for the princess. I'll be stuck down here for the rest of my life." Thinking about it brought tears to Marik's eyes and made him feel scared. "Why did I have to be born the son of a tomb keeper? Once I receive the initiation, there's no escaping my future. I know I was born into this tradition, but why?" He asks with his head in his arms. "Why do I have to give up so much for this pharaoh? It isn't fair!"

Odion understood Marik's pain and approached him to console him. "Let me do it," he insisted. "Your family saved me, so now I can repay them by saving you from a life of darkness protecting the pharaoh's tomb."

Marik faced him with hope. "Really?"

"I'd be honored. I shall ask for your father's consent right away."

Master Ishtar listened to Odion, but denied his request. "My family's sacred duty can only be passed down to a true heir. I will not break tradition."

Odion remained on the floor, bowing before his master. "I know I'm not your real son, but Master Marik is too frightened to go through with the initiation. I can't bear to see him this way. Please allow me to fulfill the family's destiny and protect the tomb. I'll devote my life so that your son can be free."

Master Ishtar didn't believe Odion's words about Marik's pain and suffering. He knew that ever since Odion was taken in, he wanted to be his real son. That made Master Ishtar think that it was the true reason Odion wanted the initiation, blinding him from his son's feelings. He stands up and decrees, "My son shall receive the initiation as planned and you'll speak no more of this!"

The next day, Marik was taken away to receive the initiation, he struggled and cried for help, but it was pointless. They would not let him go and no one would come to his rescue. There was nothing Odion could do but watch helplessly as Marik was being taken to the main room. When it was over, Marik had become a whole new person. "My life has changed forever," he admitted.

"Yes, you're a tomb keeper now," said Odion.

Marik tried to get up and strike him, but the pain in his back made him lie back down on his stomach. "I'm sorry. I feel so alone. Why should I have to pledge my life to some pharaoh?" As he turned to face Odion, Marik noticed that his face was bandaged. "What happened to your face, Odion?"

"As you know, I'm forbidden to join this clan, so I…"

"Go on."

Odion lowers his hood and removes his bandages. "So I performed my own ritual. I hope this mark proves my loyalty to your family, sir. You're not alone."

But Odion noticed a strange change in Marik's behavior since that day. As the years went by, Marik started to become more cruel and wicked. It was like when he received the initiation, a new personality had taken over the kind boy Odion knew.

Odion came back to his senses as he finished revisiting his memories. Marik once again commanded him to quickly defeat Joey. It was Joey's turn again. Once again, he drew a card that was of no use to him. In his hand were three magic cards called Shield and Sword, Salamandra, and Polymerization. They were all useless to him, so he just ended his turn.

"Too bad," Max said as she watched. "He's made some impressive comebacks, but I'm afraid it's over for Joey. I'll admit he's come a long way since the last time I dueled him, but his best just wasn't enough in this match."

"I wouldn't count Joey out yet, Max," said Emily. "Just look at his eyes." And Max did look.

"Your turn," Joey said firmly.

Max gasped. "You're right. They burn with a fiery passion I've never seen before. It's like he knows he's going to win, but how? I can't think of a move that can stop that monster."

"All that matters is what Joey trusts in his heart," said Yami. "His determination to beat Marik is very strong. Joey believes he's going to win even though the likelihood of his victory is very small. He vowed to help me put an end to Marik's evil scheme and he's keeping his promise."

Max still wasn't too sure. "But how's Joey going to win?"

"He'll find the way as long as he trusts in himself and in the Heart of the Cards," Emily answered.

It pained Joey to see the Mystical Beast devour the Legendary Fisherman. He didn't want this to happen after promising Mako he would use his most trusted card well. But there was nothing he could do but face his defeat like a man. He drew his card and ended his turn. But something inside was telling him he wouldn't lose this duel. "I'm not going to lose," he said out loud. "I can't explain how I know, but I got this feeling inside telling me I'm going to win this duel. It's kind of like a voice inside my head. So before you attack me, I want you to listen to what I have to say. I'll never forget when you controlled my mind and tried to force me to hurt two of my best friends in that crazy duel. You didn't have the strength or courage to face Yugi yourself, so you had me do your dirty work while you hid like a coward."

"I'm facing you now, aren't I?" Odion asked. "And look at the score. I'm destroying you in a dule face-to-face."

Hearing Odion say that made something else come into mind. "It's funny you bring that up. You see, ever since we started this duel, I had different feelings about you. I can't put my finger on it, but you don't seem like the kind of guy who controlled my mind. The Marik I know is a real scumbag, but you played admirably and it was one of the toughest duels I ever fought. The same voice that tells me I'm not going to lose also tells me that you're not the snake who took over my mind and forced me to duel Yugi. And I'm sure of it; you're not Marik! I always trust what I feel in my gut, and it's telling me two things: you're not who you're pretending to be and you won't win!"

"Wheeler's insane!" Kaiba barked. "Of course that's Marik."

Yami and Emily agreed with Joey. Neither of them sensed the same dark presence emanating from Joey's opponent. Then Emily faced Marik and wondered, _Could he be-?_

Marik looked away. _No! If I'm exposed, my plan's ruined!_ He still had more to learn about everyone's role in this struggle.

Odion takes the Millennium Rod and holds it out to Joey. "Enough of this! Only the true Marik wields the power of the Millennium Rod. Think of that before you listen to those senseless voices."

He was about to have his Mystical Beast attack Joey until Marik stopped him. _Wait, Odion! Stop your attack!_ Odion does as told and holds back before the Mystical Beast can grip Joey in its claws. Everyone saw this and wondered what was going on. As Odion asked his master why he demanded him to stop his attack, Marik told him, _Destroy him with the Egyptian God card instead. The only way to convince everyone that you are me is if you play the Winged Dragon of Ra._

 _But it's too dangerous_ , Odion warned. _Please don't make me play the Winged Dragon from the sacred arc._

 _Play that Egyptian God card now so that I may rule as pharaoh!_ Once again, Odion begged his master to reconsider, but Marik knew how to change his mind and make him carry out his orders. _Listen to me, ever since I can remember, you longed to be a part of my family. Well, this is your chance to finally join the tomb keepers' clan by serving me, the future pharaoh. Now fulfill your duty and play that Egyptian God card!_

Hearing that, it truly was what Odion wanted and if this was his chance, he would take it. So he decided to obey his master and play the Winged Dragon of Ra. Joey and his friends were not expecting this. To summon the Winged Dragon, Odion offered his Mystical Beast and half of his life points. The sky became shrouded in deep, dark clouds, lightning flashed all around the area, and a golden fiery bird emerged from the Temple of the Kings. The Mystical Beast's 5825 attack points had all been channeled into the Winged Dragon's.

Marik was impressed and pleased. _You've made our family proud today, Odion. Your handling of the copy of the Egyptian God card proves that you are one of us once and for all. And it has convinced our skeptical friends that you are Marik._

Odion declared an attack, but something terrible was going on. Instead of carrying out an attack, the Winged Dragon screeched. Emily got down to her knees and pressed her hands against her chest. "My chest," she was groaning. "It's burning!" The Millennium Star was going out of control.

Even the Cobalt Star shard around Max's neck was going wild. She tried to keep a grip on it, but her hand got burned. _Marik, you fool, look what you've done!_

Marik turned his attention to his deck. _What's going on!? My deck is emanating a powerful aura of great rage! It's as if the real Winged Dragon of Ra in my deck is angry that Odion played a counterfeit card_. Odion tried again to declare an attack, but the Winged Dragon screeched once more and began disappearing from the field. _Why isn't it working_? Marik wondered. _My Rare Hunters tested these cards extensively. I know my weaker servants had great difficulties, but I thought Odion could control it._

Max began wondering to him in anger as she was listening to his thoughts. _You don't have as much knowledge of the Egyptian Gods as you think_ , she scolded. _Because of your stupidity, you've angered the Gods and now Joey and Odion are about to feel their wrath!_

Lighting was coming down, striking the arena. It was happening just as she warned Marik. But Odion was willing to pay the price for his dreadful mistake. Just as he warned Marik, he could not comprehend the power of the Egyptian God card. As the lightning struck him, the Millennium Rod in his hand shattered. Now Emily and Yami saw that Joey was right and this wasn't the madman who was after them. Odion fell and the last words he whispered were, "I tried."

Joey saw Odion get struck by the lightning and approached him to help him. But the lightning kept coming and ended up striking him as well.

"Joey!" Emily screamed. She unfolded her wings and flew to the arena. "Oh, no, Joey!"

Roland saw her and was surprisingly not freaked out to see her flying. "Get away from there. There's a duel going on."

"Open your eyes," she cried, "both duelists are knocked out!"

"Maybe so, but they both still have 200 life points remaining. So according to Battle City rules, this duel is still in progress. So leave this platform now," Roland told her.

"Forget about the rules, they both need help!"

"Enough," Kaiba ordered. "I don't know where that lightning came from, but it had nothing to do with the Kaiba Corporation's duel disk system. Whatever it may have seemed to be, this lightning storm is a freak act of nature and nothing more."

"Who cares what it was? Just end the duel now!" Max yelled.

Roland looked at Odion and Joey, unsure of what to do. "Should I declare the duel a double forfeit? Disqualify them both?"

Kaiba had a better idea. "Since the duelists are tied with 200 life points, we'll give them five minutes. The first duelist to get back on his feet will be declared the winner and be permitted to move on to the next round."

While all of Joey's friends were crying out for him and begging for him to snap out of it, Marik turned away and began groaning. He felt a pain inside his head, like something inside was trying to break free. Odion could sense Marik's pain and tried to get up. But as he got to his knees, he fell back down and whispered his apologies.

Joey was still out of it, but he could hear all of his friends calling him. Then a strange dream began playing in his mind. Joey saw the school and he was asleep on his desk. To wake him up, Duke tossed a die at his head. He finally lifted his head and opened his eyes and saw his friends surrounding him.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," said Tea. "This is no time to be resting."

Joey yawns and rubs his eyes. "Sorry, I'm feeling kind of lazy."

"Well, snap out of it and start showing some life," said Tristan.

"Come on, Joey, this is a big day, so get your butt in gear!" Tea told him.

"She's right, Joey," Yugi said worriedly. "Time is running out!"

"For what?" Joey asked, groggily.

"Don't you know? It's your dream. Today's the most important duel of your entire life!"

"Remember when you said, 'I'll show 'em all that Joey Wheeler's no amateur!'?" Emily asked, imitating Joey's voice and accent.

Hearing Emily imitate him made Joey laugh, but he was still confused about what was going on. He figured that maybe preparing his deck would help, so he took out a small bag and dumped his cards on his desk, but by doing so, he accidently fell forward. This was really weird, but it was natural for things like this to happen because it was a dream.

Yugi gets down and picks up some cards. "Let's put together the best dueling deck from this mess and then we can head out."

"Let's hope Joey will be a little less scatterbrained for when the competition begins," Tea sighed as she picked up a few cards.

Kaiba scoffed. "Just give it up, Wheeler," he said, leaving the classroom.

Joey growls and raises his fist. "How'd you like to give up your teeth?"

"Don't waste your energy on that loser," said Tristan. "You've got more important things to worry about."

"My deck," Joey remembered. "I keep a list of all of my best cards here," he said, taking a note from his pocket. Then he saw Max and Serenity on the floor picking up some cards. "Max? Serenity? What are you doing here?"

"You're dreaming," Max reminded him. "And dreams don't have to make sense, so just be glad you didn't have us come here seeing you naked."

"Plus, today's your big day," his sister added. "We had to be here."

Tristan pulls Joey to another corner of the room. "We got a problem. Your list is blank," he said, showing his pal clean white paper.

"This dream just gets weirder and weirder," said Joey. "It's almost as nuts as the nightmare I had about that monkey and the bowl of vanilla pudding. Thank God I'm not in this alone. If you guys weren't here, I'd be clueless."

"What are friends for?" Tristan asked.

Joey agrees. "You guys are the best buds I could ever have," he says, seeing everyone construct his deck. "I've done a lot of dumb things, but you guys stood by me no matter what. I won't forget that."

Then Yugi called Joey over and told him that his deck was ready. "You'll be tough to beat with all of these cards," he promised.

Joey thanks him and kisses his deck. "With your support and these cards, there's no way I can lose." Then everyone decides it's time to head out, but Joey finds himself stuck and unable to get up. "Something's wrong. I don't have enough strength to stand up. A little help, guys?"

"Are you sure you're not just trying to chicken out of your duel?" Max asked. "Stop kidding around."

"I'm serious," Joey told his friends. "I need a hand here." Then all of his friends hold out a hand to give him support. "You guys are the best. Thank you," he says, reaching out to them. And he feels everyone's hands and their support through their touch.

"Now stand up, Joey," said Yugi. "You have a duel to win!"

And Joey was standing up, not just in his dream, but in the arena. He came to and found himself on his feet. "Uhh, what just happened? Can someone fill me in, please?"

"You're dueling in the finals," Tea tells him.

"And you scared us half to death!" Max shouted. "Don't ever do that again, you dolt!"

Then Joey began remembering what happened before he got knocked out. After that, Roland announced that Joey was the winner of the duel. He wasn't about to celebrate his victory, though. Odion was still unconscious from the lightning strike. So Joey went to his aid and rested his head on his lap.

Odion began waking up. "Please forgive me, Joey," he said weakly. "It was an honor for me to duel with you."

Joey returned the gesture. "This was a duel I'll never forget. But now that it's over, it's time for you to come clean. If you're not Marik, who are you?"

"I am only a servant to the true Marik," Odion answered, pointing to his master.

Joey focused his gaze on the real villain. Yami and Emily turned his attention to him as well. "Admit your true identity, Namu!" Emily demanded, seeing the real Millennium Rod in his hand.

Marik stops groaning and gives her his attention. "Yes, it's true. I am indeed the real Marik, you fools!"

"So then, you're not Namu?" Tea asked.

"Namu? He was a disguise to get me closer to Yugi and Emily," Marik tells her.

"You sly dog," Joey growled.

Marik chuckled in an evil manner. "We finally meet face-to-face, Pharaoh and Princess. And at last, I can finally complete the task my pathetic servants couldn't. Your powers will soon be where they belong." Then he began groaning again.

Odion began sensing the problem. "Oh, no, I was afraid of this. Now you're all in great danger. Beware the great evil hidden within," he was warning everyone. "Master Marik has an even darker side and I am unable to contain it anymore." And he loses consciousness.

Marik's groan turned into a scream and he took on a new look. His hair grew into larger spikes and his voice became deeper. It was the other personality Marik developed when he received the tomb keeper's initiation: Malik.

"I'm finally free again after being restrained for so many years," said Malik. "Which means I can do things my way."

"Who are you?" Yami demanded, holding Emily close.

"I'm the true Marik," Malik answered, "and I'm not as kind as the one you've come to know. And soon I'll finish the job he couldn't complete and strip you of your powers. For I deserve to be pharaoh, not you. So get ready for the real battle. And when I'm through with you, your Puzzle will be around my neck and the Millennium Star will belong to me. And the both of you will be trapped in the realm of eternal darkness along with your friends and Odion as well."

"Get a life," Joey growled.

"You fool," Malik laughed. "Thanks to Odion's failure, I have a life. Of course, his failure also managed to prove one thing: only a chosen few can control the Egyptian God cards. Kaiba, you're one of them."

Kaiba scoffed. "I'm sick and tired of hearing these Egyptian fairy tales. I can control Obelisk the Tormentor because I am a master duelist."

Malik chuckled once again. "Don't deny your ancient past. You know you can't escape your five thousand year old memories. You'll learn in good time, Kaiba. Your role in this struggle runs much deeper than you can imagine. However, that won't matter once I win everything. The ultimate battle begins now and there's no turning back. The Egyptian God monsters will serve and protect me while I serve as the new pharaoh!" Malik said and began laughing.


	32. The Two Maxes

The Two Maxes

Odion was taken back to his room and the medical staff began running examinations. His tests came back with good results, but the stress of the duel left him unconscious. Joey was sad to see Odion like this, but thankful he wasn't in the same situation.

"I guess we're not going to find out more about who this guy is until he wakes up," said Duke.

"Well, we know one thing," Emily was saying, "he was determined to protect Marik."

"And for what?" Joey snapped. "Just look at him. Odion's lying in a hospital bed and Marik could care less if he ever wakes up again. That creep's as nasty as they get!"

"What did you expect Marik to do, send flowers?" Max sarcastically asked. "Poor Odion. It's times when you're down that you need friends the most."

Hearing Max say that made Joey think about his dream. "That's it; that's how I was able to get back on my feet and win the duel. It was because of you. When I got knocked out, I was having this dream that I needed help, and all of you were there to support me. It happened in my dream and on the arena. It gave me the strength I needed to get back up and win."

"Wow, that dream's almost as touching as the one where you were making vanilla pudding with the monkey," Tristan teased. Joey was about to strangle him for letting that secret slip. But it was a good thing he stopped when he did because it was about time to announce the next duel.

Max stopped Joey before they left the room. "Hey, Joey, about that dream you were talking about," she was wondering in curiosity. "Did I happen to be there to help you too?"

Max was there holding her hand out to Joey. He even saw her smiling at him with compassion. But he answered differently. "No, actually you weren't there, Max. Nowhere to be seen. Nope, sorry. You should probably know that most of my dreams are manly anyway. Y'know, driving cars, fixing stuff, playing superhero, being a sport's star…"

As the list kept going, Max's expression carried a look at read, 'Wow, totally not what I was expecting.' If Joey had answered differently, she would have been a little bit happier.

"Yeah, so I guess I'll see ya later," Joey told Max and began walking to the main concourse. _Whew, that was a close one. The last thing I want is for Max to think I'm thinking about her. That would cause all kinds of problems and who has time for-?_

But Joey's thoughts were interrupted as Tea pulled his ear and began scolding him. "Why do you have to be so mean?"

"You're the one grabbin' ears!" Joey countered.

"All Max wanted was to be your friend, but you were too much of a fool to let her," said Emily.

"Next time, grow up!" the girls yelled and began marching down the hall.

Max remained at the door and looked back at Odion. She sighed in disappointment. _Looks like Odion's not the only person here who's forgotten. I guess it can't be helped. This isn't something I'm not used to. I've always been a loner. I do things my way and that's how I like it. Who needs friends? I got where I am all on my own. That's how I live and that's how I play. That's why there's only one person you can depend on: yourself._

When Max joined everyone in the main concourse, she noticed that Malik wasn't present and there was still no sign of the eighth duelist. The selector was turned on and the first sphere chosen had the number four printed on it, which was Max's number. The selector turned on again, but Max didn't care who her opponent would be. She decided to head to the stratos dueling arena.

"Don't you want to see who you're going to be dueling against?" Joey wondered.

"Oh, like it really matters," Max replied. "I'll take down whoever it is and be joining you and Yugi in the next round."

"Well, we'll be rooting for you," Joey tells her.

"Forget it," she responded. "I don't need to rely on your stupid friendship speeches to win. I was practically a champion myself before I met any of you. And besides, certain blonde freaks are really beginning to get on my nerves."

Emily found that offensive, but Joey could tell that Max was speaking directly to him and that the comment was meant for him alone.

She finally looks back at Joey. "Do you catch what I'm saying? I can perfectly see that you don't think of me as your friend, so I see no reason why I should think of you as mine. Let's just leave it at that, okay, monkey boy?"

"That is completely untrue!" Joey snapped. "And I'm no monkey boy!"

Max said nothing. She just went back on her path and took the elevator to the stratos dueling arena. When she left, it was announced that her opponent would be Malik. Hearing that, everyone headed to the arena where Max and Kaiba were waiting.

"Where's Marik?" Kaiba asked. "The announcement was broadcasted in every room."

"Maybe he chickened out," Max wondered.

"Or maybe not," Kaiba said, seeing Malik exit the elevator and taking his place on the arena.

Max's Cobalt Star shard began glowing. The spirit within had a score to settle with him. "I'm actually pleased that you decided to show up."

"This won't take long," Malik promised her. The evil spirit agreed and was confident that she would be able to defeat this lunatic. "Prepare to be cast into the shadows."

"Your empty threats don't scare me," Max retorted. She made the first move by summoning Dunames Dark Witch, a fairy with 1800 attack points. Malik summoned Revival Jam in defense mode along with the magic card Jam Breeding Machine.

Everyone else finally showed up to watch the duel. Max wasn't grateful. Joey remembered her saying that she didn't want their support, but she didn't tell them she didn't want them to come and watch her. Yami and Emily recognized the cards on Malik's side of the field and it wasn't a good sign. Already Max was in danger and they had to warn her. They tried to speak, but Max told them to back off. She bragged that she knew what she was up against, but Malik could sense fear in her eyes.

Max had her Dark Witch attack, but her witchcraft could not destroy the plasma beast. It regenerated and the Breeding Machine created the first slime token, but not before Malik played Pot of Greed and drew two cards from his deck. To end his turn, he played a card face down on the field. Yami and Emily both had a bad feeling that the card was probably Jam Defender. They remembered the same strategy Marik used to summon Slifer the Sky Dragon.

But it wouldn't work this time. Max played Harpy's Feather Duster to destroy Malik's Jam Breeding Machine and his face down card. With nothing to protect his slime token, Dunames Dark Witch was free to destroy it with her Spellbinding Dust and reduce Malik's life points by 1300. Max ended her turn by playing a card face down.

The duel was only just getting started. Malik summoned Melchid the Four-Faced Beast and sacrificed it with Revival Jam to summon the Masked Beast Desguardias, a fiend with 3300 attack points. Yami recognized that monster as well. Lumis and Umbra used it against him and Kaiba in their rematch. The Masked Beast attacked, but Max's trap Mirror Wall was activated, cutting the fiend's attack points in half. Dunames Dark Witch attacked and dropped Malik's life points down to 2550. But the Masked Beast had a hidden ability. When destroyed, it leaves behind the Mask of Remnance, giving Malik the power to control Max's monster as if it were his own. The Mask attached itself to the Dark Witch's face and brought her to Malik's side of the field. Malik wasn't finished. To destroy the Mirror Wall, he played Remove Trap.

Max had to admit, Malik was very different from all of her other opponents. She was even beginning to sweat. Perhaps it was because they both had experience with shadow powers. And from here on out, that was exactly how they were going to be playing. Using the magic of his Millennium Rod, Malik turned the duel into a Shadow Game. Yami, Emily, Joey, Tristan, and Tea all remembered being in the Shadow Realm before, but Duke, Serenity, and the Kaiba brothers thought they had just passed through a mysterious fog. As for Max, well, the friend they knew wasn't scared because she had been here several times before when the evil spirit of the Cobalt Star shard took over. So she was used to the horrors. But this time, Max and the evil spirit would be facing some new twists. But that didn't matter. The spirit knew the hell Max was always being put through and she had more experiences playing Shadow Games, so she immediately took control.

Emily felt a strange sensation coming from the Millennium Star. Now she realized that she could sense the presence of that evil spirit. But she also sensed that her arrival here seemed different than before. It was like the evil spirit was stepping in to protect her friend even after Max already said she didn't want help from anyone. But the evil spirit never respected her host's wishes. Besides, it was impossible to change either of their minds. Malik liked that about his opponent. It didn't even matter who he was facing because he would have much more to gain in this Shadow Game.

The spirit of the Cobalt Star shard played a card face down and summoned the Unfriendly Amazon, a warrior with 2000 attack points. As the warrior showed up on the field, a lavender light covered her outline. Malik explained that the light represented a part of the cardholder's mind and if the light is extinguished, a part of her mind is erased.

The evil Max didn't believe that to be true. She was very familiar with the horrors of the Shadow Realm. _This fool is insane,_ she wondered to herself. _Does he take me for an amateur?_ She had her Amazon attack the Dark Witch with her Soaring Slash. Malik lost 200 life points, but the Dark Witch was Max's own monster, meaning that she herself had erased her own mind. In this case, someone from her memory.

Malik decides to explain. "Max, each monster we play carries a memory of a person we hold within our minds. So when a monster is destroyed, the memory of a person from your life is destroyed with it."

"That can't be!" Max gasped. "There's just no way!" But it was the truth. The first person Malik decided to remove from her memories was Tea. "No, it's impossible!"

Malik disagreed. "A person who's played several Shadow Games before should know nothing is impossible. But you should know you must have conjured the Shadow Realm before in most of your duels. This time, I'm controlling this kingdom of darkness. And when I'm through with you, you'll be nothing but a mindless shell in a world full of strangers."

 _This is nothing at all like the Shadow Games Bakura and I have played in the past_ , Max confessed. _So it's true,_ she thought to herself as everyone began to fade away one by one. When she faced everyone standing at the sidelines, Tea wasn't there. Her eyes didn't show her presence and Tea's voice was becoming difficult for her to recognize. She truly was gone. Now Max understood what Malik was talking about. It was true that she and Bakura conjured the shadows in their games, but since Malik conjured them this time, the rules had changed. These new horrors were making the evil spirit tremble in fear. This was difficult for the real Max as well because her own mind was being affected in the same way, meaning that she was also starting to forget everything and everyone she knew.

Tea tried calling out to Max to give her words of encouragement, but Max just looked at her in confusion. She saw an invisible figure and didn't know who the voice belonged to.

Malik played a card face down and summoned Makiyura the Destructor in attack mode. It was a dark warrior with 1600 attack points. Next he equipped his warrior with the Black Pendant, a cursed piece of jewelry that gave him 500 extra attack points. Makiyura was about to attack, but Max activated a trap called Amazon Archers, lowering Makiyura's attack points back to their original value. The Unfriendly Amazon defeated Makiyura and removed Strings from Malik's mind. But Malik appreciated the act. There was no one in his memories meaningful to him and he preferred a life of solitude. But there were other matters to consider. Black Pendant's curse took 500 of Max's life points since she destroyed the monster wearing it. Plus, since Makiyura was destroyed, Malik was permitted to play a trap card from his hand. The card he played was Rope of Life. He used it to bring Makiyura back from the graveyard and make it 800 attack points stronger. Now the warrior had 2400 attack points.

Makiyura attacked the Unfriendly Amazon and removed Joey from Max's memory. Neither Max nor the evil spirit wanted to lose him. He was special to the both of them. But loneliness never really tortured either of them. It was Max's loneliness that the evil spirit preyed on and got her strength from. Besides, Max was used to being alone. She had no parents, relatives, or siblings, barely any friends, she was just the kind of girl who always did things her way without needing or even wanting to rely on anyone. How she got by and became wealthy in life at such a young age is a miracle and a mystery that baffles everyone. To her, life was just a game, a test of survival, but Max never forgot the harsh cruelties of reality.

But things started to change. She met a boy who fell in love with her and was given a token to represent his love. Within that jewel was a spirit promising to guide and protect Max despite her evil nature. But Max didn't always come to trust that spirit because she was being controlled against her will most of the time. But it was because of that spirit that Max had incredible gifts. Then she met Yugi and his friends and the more time she spent getting to know them, the more she felt her heart softening a little. It was like she had met every one of them before in a whole other life. But the horrors of this Shadow Game were bringing the same pain inflicted upon her; she was losing the only friends she had.

Joey saw Max on her knees and tried calling out to her, but got no response. "I don't get it. First she's ignoring Tea and now she's ignoring me?"

Emily shakes her head. "She's not ignoring you, Joey. You've been erased from her memories."

"She can't forget who I am," Joey protested and began calling to Max again. Max heard Joey's voice, but didn't recognize him. He was nothing but an invisible shadow.

 _I've had enough! If Marik's going to use shadow magic to hurt Max, then I'm going to use light magic to help her. It's time I tapped into my own Millennium powers_ , Emily decided and began entering Max's mind.

Yami sensed her thoughts and agreed and began following her. _She's right. We have to show Max the truth and help her to see that she won't be wandering in the shadows forever._

Then they both used their Millennium powers and entered Max's mind. Malik was not pleased to see them. "You're not alone, Max," Emily promised.

Now there were two figures she was familiar with. "Yugi? Emily?"

The evil spirit was walking with Max and saw them as well. "Pharaoh and Princess? But why are you here?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Malik growled.

"We're here because you need our help," Emily answered.

"You can't let Marik's illusions distract you," said Yami.

"Illusions?" Max echoed. "But this all seems so real."

Her counterpart decides to explain. "Only because Marik is making it all seem real. If you and I can win this duel together, I promise you will return to the life you know." This time, the spirit was being serious. She needed to protect Max.

But Max wasn't sure she could trust this spirit after all she had put her through. "I just can't," she confessed. "I feel so… alone." Then Joey's voice rang though, promising Max that everyone is with her. "Who is that?" Max asked. "I don't know whose voice that is, but it sounds familiar."

"I agree," said the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard. "It sounds like a long forgotten friend."

"Exactly, Max," Emily was saying. "It's the voices of your friends supporting you."

"And you can rest assured that no matter how dark things may seem, those voices will always be there to encourage you," Yami finished.

"I won't abandon you either," the evil spirit promised Max. "Thank you, Pharaoh and Princess. And you have my word that I shall protect your friend." Sure enough, this spirit was more humble than her partner, the spirit of the Millennium Ring.

"Be strong, both of you," said Emily's voice as she and Yami disappeared from the shadows.

Malik growled once again. _How dare that little brat and her father interfere in my Shadow Game. They'll pay for that._

Max got back on her feet. "I've faced a lot of dangers before. Sure, you've added some new twists this time, but I've never backed down before and I'm not starting now." She summoned another Amazon to the field. This time, it was a Chainmaster with 1500 attack points. To end her move, she played a card face down. Malik summoned a seemingly weak monster called Holding Arms. It had only 500 attack points, but it also had the ability to shackle a monster for three turns.

Emily just couldn't stand to see Max suffer like this. True, the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard was dueling, but her friend was still in danger. If they both lost this duel together, their minds would never recover. "Marik, forget these mind games and just duel!"

"This is how I duel," Malik argued. "You see, Princess, Duel Monsters and the Shadow Realm are intertwined. So I'm simply playing the game as it was originally intended. Unfortunately, fate has selected Max and the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard to be the victims this time."

"You're insane," said Yami.

"Why is that? Because I duel with ancient magic? Last time I checked, so do you. By tapping into the powers of your Millennium Puzzle."

"And least Yami doesn't do it to torment his opponents and turn them into his victims," Emily smartly remarked.

"Pharaoh, Princess," the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard was saying, "I appreciate your help, but this is my battle now and I want the both of you to stay out of it. Please understand, I want you to believe in me as I believe in myself." _Plus_ , she was wondering to herself, _I wouldn't stand it if this lunatic did anything to hurt either of you._

Joey wasn't going to stand for it. "Come on, you guys aren't just going to stand here and let her keep dueling, are you?" he asked, putting his hands on Emily's shoulders.

"We are," Yami answered for her. "Max has made her choice."

"I just hope it's the right choice," Emily added, making Joey release her.

The evil spirit made her move by revealing a hidden magic card called Grave Arm. It allowed her to send one monster to the graveyard. She chose to sacrifice her Amazon Chainmaster. By destroying her own monster, her memory wouldn't be attacked. Another benefit was that her Chainmaster could steal a card from her opponent's deck and give it to her. It was no surprise that Max had her sights on the Winged Dragon of Ra. But just because she had the card in her possession now, didn't mean it was hers to keep. Not until she had won the duel anyway. Malik wasn't worried. He had his doubts that his opponent would be able to control an Egyptian God card.

Max knew the rules that summoning the Winged Dragon required the sacrifice of three monsters. So far, she had none on the field while Malik had two. She had to make every move count from here on out. She played two cards face down and summoned Amazon Fighter. Makiyura was about to attack, but Max revealed one of her face down cards. It was Amazoness Spellcaster. The magic card swapped the attack points of Makiyura and Amazon fighter. Now Makiyura had 1500 attack points and Amazon Fighter had 2400. Makiyura was defeated and Arkana was removed from Malik's memories. Malik also had 1050 life points remaining.

Malik activated his trap Card of Last Will. It allowed him to draw five new cards whenever one of his monster's attack points is decreased. Makiyura's special ability also kicked in, allowing Malik to play a trap card from his hand. He played Nightmare Wheel, trapping Amazon Fighter and taking 500 of Max's life points for every turn. But Max knew how to escape from the trap. She played a trap of her own called Rescue Operation. She could place Amazon Fighter back into her hand and summon a new monster to take her place. Max wasn't planning on summoning the Egyptian God card. She remembered that its attack points are based upon the total sum of the attack points of the monsters offered to it. To summon the Winged Dragon without a sacrifice would give it no attack points at all. Instead, she summoned Cyber Harpy, a stronger version of Harpy Lady with 1800 attack points.

It was all riding on this draw. The card Max drew from her deck was Graceful Charity. She played it and drew three new cards and discarded two. One of the cards was Elegant Egotist and she immediately played it, turning that one Harpy into the Harpy Lady Sisters. Now that she had three monsters on the field, she was able to sacrifice them and summon the Winged Dragon of Ra.

 _Such a fool_ , Malik wondered. _Does she really think she can control an Egyptian God? I'm afraid it's quite the opposite. It will control her_. The Winged Dragon appeared in the field, but not in what Max expected. It was a glowing sphere. This was interesting for Kaiba. Now he would learn the secrets and powers of the Winged Dragon. "My dear Max, you may have some experience playing Shadow Games, but I told you, this time, you're dealing with forces beyond your understanding. And don't forget, once you lose, your mind will be trapped here confined in isolation for eternity."

The spirit of the Cobalt Star shard was well aware of what would happen if she lost. The thought of it was actually scaring her. In the Shadow Games she played alongside her partner, they were fighting for their souls, not their minds.

"As for my Egyptian God card, you were a fool to think you could actually use it," continued Malik. "Only individuals with certain knowledge of the ancient scriptures can control such a divine power."

"And you think I'm not one of them," wondered Max.

"If you are, why don't you try reading the ancient text on the bottom of the card?" Malik challenged. Max looked down and saw small Egyptian symbols printed on the card. They read an ancient chant that had to be spoken in order to summon the Winged Dragon of Ra. But she didn't remember seeing it before she played the card on the field. But Max didn't need to read it. The spirit of the Cobalt Star shard possessed knowledge of the ancient scriptures and could decipher the text. Malik knew just as much, but he still had his doubts that his opponent would be able to control the Winged Dragon.

Kaiba was curious about the text. He told his brother to photograph the card with the satellite's camera and use the onboard network to translate it. Mokuba does as told and returns to the deck. Malik figured Kaiba was wasting his time and assumed he could read the text by simply looking at it. The truth was, many of the passengers on the blimp could trace their roots back to ancient Egypt. If Kaiba could control his own Egyptian God card, it would come to no surprise if he could decipher the chant. Another fact was that when Pegasus created the card for the Winged Dragon of Ra, not even he could understand its powers and secrets. He also knew that the Winged Dragon could only be summoned if the chant was spoken. The words were written in a special ink that would only reveal the chant once the Winged Dragon was played on the field.

It still made no difference to the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard. She was going to use the card to win the duel. "It's my move. I place one card face down. Now the Winged Dragon of Ra will awaken." Then she closed her eyes and began reciting the ancient chant. "Great beast of the sky, please hear my cry. Transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight. Envelop the desert with your glow and cast your rage upon my foe. Unlock your powers from deep within so that together we may win. Appear in this Shadow Game as I call your name: Winged Dragon of Ra!"

The sphere glowed even brighter as the Winged Dragon emerged from it with 5400 attack points. But a strange twist occurred as the Winged Dragon roared at Max and instead positioned itself on Malik's side of the arena. Everyone was confused; especially the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard.

Malik laughed. "I told you that you had much to learn, my dear," he said to her. "You may possess some knowledge of the Egyptian scriptures, but I'm afraid there's something you lack."

"And what's that?" The evil spirit asked.

"I'm afraid your ties to the ancient past are missing a certain link," he was telling her. "Despite your knowledge of the ancient ways, you don't share a link with the royal Egyptian family. The Egyptian Gods only answer to those who carry the royal bloodline."

"Oh, no!" The evil spirit cried.

"My family has served the royal Egyptian family for centuries, protecting the pharaoh's tomb until his return. Our knowledge of the ancient ways as well as our ties to the royal family is the reason the Winged Dragon of Ra has abandoned you and now serves me." Malik wasn't going to have the Winged Dragon attack yet. He played Holding Legs. Once summoned, Max's trap card returned to her hand. Plus, with Holding Legs in play with Holding Arms, they shared an ability that trapped a player. Also, they could deal damage to Max's life points. The shackles imprisoned Max to a stone tablet behind her back.

"Hey, I can't move!" Max cried.

"How perceptive," said Malik. "And you can't do a thing to protect yourself." And the shackles lowered Max's life points down to 800.

"Max, are you all right?" Joey asked.

"That voice," she groaned. "It sounds familiar."

Malik laughed once again. "All of your friends are gone!"

"That's a lie!" Emily yelled.

Malik turned his attention to her. "I don't need you interfering in my Shadow Game again. I'll deal with you eventually. For now, I must deal with your friend." He turns his attention back to Max. "It's such a pity it has to end this way. Your mind is a mere shadow of its former self. As soon as my monster attacks, your world will crumble."

"Leave Max alone," Emily demanded. "Your grudge is against me and Yami, not her!"

"That's true, Princess, but I'm just having a little bit of fun," said Malik. "There's nothing I enjoy more than toying with someone's mind. But don't worry, your father and I will duel soon enough. It's something I've been looking forward to since the day my family insisted I bear the ancient scriptures on my back, cursed to carry the secret of the pharaoh's power until his return. And although this duty has brought great honor to the Ishtar name, it had brought me nothing but great suffering and despair. For generations, my family has waited for the pharaoh's return."

Then Malik started laughing. "Except for me. Serving an ancient king was just a game for fools. Giving up my life just to play servant for a five thousand year old king when all along I hold the key to his great power? I shall become the king! I always knew I was destined for greatness. I just need to put together all the pieces so I can claim my destiny."

"This madness has to stop," Yami demanded. "Understand? Right now!"

"This madness has only just begun. Soon you and the rest of your friends will suffer while the world cowers in fear before me!" Malik said and ordered the Winged Dragon of Ra to attack Max directly.

"Look out, Max!" Tea and Serenity shouted.

Joey had enough. Max had to be saved. If Kaiba or Roland weren't going to stop the duel, he would step in and take matters into his own hands even if it meant getting disqualified from the finals. But that was the least of his worries. Nothing was more important to Joey right now than helping Max. Even if the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard was the one dueling, his friend was still in danger and needed help. He didn't even care which Max he would be talking to.

"Don't worry, Max, I'll get you out of here," Joey said as he approached her. He tried to unhook the chains around her wrists, but couldn't do it.

"Who's there?" Max asked. "You sound so familiar to me, like an old friend."

"Max, it's me," Joey told her. "Come on, you've just got to remember who I am." To help her, he places his hands over her cheeks. "Look into my eyes. It's me, Joey. And I'm not going to let anything happen to you because we're friends."

"Friends?" Max echoed. "Us?"

"Yeah, no matter what. And I've got something I've gotta tell you, Max; something I should have told you before. Do you remember when I got knocked unconscious during that lightning storm? And the dream I was having? I dreamed that we were all back in school together. For some reason, I was stuck and couldn't stand up. Everyone was there to help me up; including you. You were there too, Max," he confessed. "I was wrong to lie to you and say you weren't in my dream, Max. I'm really sorry. But you were there and you are my friend."

As Max was listening to Joey, his image reappeared before her eyes. "Joey!" she cried.

"Max," he said happily.

She saw that the Winged Dragon of Ra was about to fire its attack. "Let's go. Get me out of these chains." Joey agrees and tries to break them once more. _So Joey does think of me as a friend_ , she wondered to herself. _I always knew that monkey liked me._

 _Of course he does,_ the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard wondered. _He's risking his life for you._

 _No_ , Max protested. _He's doing this for us_. _He knows we're both in danger._

 _He doesn't care about me. For all he knows, I'm you and he's doing this for you alone._

 _Does it make any difference_? Max asked. _I think you're just as special to him._

Then the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard began looking back on some of her old memories, like she had met Joey before in another life and he did for her what he was doing for Max, helping his friend. It was because of this same boy that Max understood what friendship was all about. And she didn't want to lose that friend again to the fate brought on her. "Forget about me, just go!"

"I am not leaving without you," Joey debated. He let go of the chains and put his arms around Max to protect her.

"Don't be a hero, Joseph," said the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard. "Just go!"

"I told you, I'm staying right here," he said. "I promise I'll protect you. And I never break a promise to a friend." And the same yellow light from before shined on his forehead, revealing the insignia of friendship.

Then both Maxes realized how much Joey cared about them. It was the nicest act of friendship anyone had ever done for them and they were grateful. Sure enough, the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard knew that Joey was the hero of friendship. And the real Max really did think of him as her friend.

The attack closes in, but Emily gets in front of them and takes the blast instead. "That's enough!" she screams.

"Emily!" Joey and Max gasp.

"Well, isn't that special?" Malik asked. "It appears I'll be able to do away with you sooner than I thought."

"Never," Emily groaned. "Your shadow powers will never break me! I will shield everyone with every spark of light I carry!" But she was getting weaker as the blast kept coming.

"Nothing can withstand the force of the greatest creature that ever walked the earth!" Malik told her. "You and your friends are finished."

The attack finally stopped and Emily fell and landed on her chest. "Emily! Help her!" Tristan cried.

"Please get up!" Tea begged. But she couldn't. She was so weak, she couldn't move or even try getting up. She even ended up losing consciousness. Yami got up to the arena and rested her on his lap as he was trying to revive her. Emily may have taken the attack and protected her friends, but Max still lost the duel. Now the darkness would finally lift, but the damage would not be undone.

"Well, what do we have here?" Malik asked as he approached them. Joey held on to Max to protect her and Yami held Emily close. "By protecting her friends, the princess has done more harm for them than good. Now no one can stand in my way. I should also send her to the Shadow Realm right now."

"Stay away from her," Yami demanded.

"Relax, I still need her. And you as well. But you and your friends need to be taught a lesson in interfering with matters that don't concern you." And Malik uses his powers to render Yami and Joey immobile. "This should hold you two for a while."

The spirit of the Cobalt Star shard remembered the consequences she had to face for her defeat. She actually used her Cobalt Star shard to freeze Yami so he wouldn't cause more interference or bring more harm upon himself or his friends. Max was still in danger, but the evil spirit knew how to protect her. She handed over the Egyptian God card to Malik and told him she was ready to face her fate. But the real Max wasn't. Malik was actually going to banish the both of them to the Shadow Realm.

Max found herself trapped in an hourglass watching Yugi and the rest of the gang swimming at the beach. As she was watching them having fun, she banged on the glass begging for help. But it was pointless because no one could hear her.

"Are you beginning to understand where you are?" Malik asked Max. "It's like a living nightmare."

"More like a living hell," she smartly remarked. "I've been here many times before and I don't intend to stay here."

"You don't have a choice. No one, not even the spirit who promised to protect you, will be coming to your rescue anytime soon. Her mind is trapped as well, but separate from yours. You'll be completely alone for the rest of eternity as everything and everyone you know disappears from your minds one by one." Then the sands of the hourglass began to fall.

When Max fell to the ground, Yami and Joey were free to move again. "Max!" Joey cried. "What did you do to her, Marik?"

"Your friend is paying the price for her mistake in dueling me," he answers. "Her mind is trapped in the Shadow Realm. With each passing second, the shadows take every portion of her mind. Her friends, her family, everything she once knew is fading away from her mind and heart. And she won't be needing this anymore," he says, taking her Cobalt Star shard.

"You son of a bitch!" Joey snapped. "Bring her back now or I swear I'll kick your ass!"

"Threaten me again and you'll meet the same fate as your friend," Malik warned. And he left the arena feeling his power growing stronger.

The rest of Joey's friends stepped on to the arena trying to revive Max and Emily. But Emily was the only one who was coming back to her senses. "Are you all right?" Yami asked.

"I'm fine," she lied. She was still hurt and could feel the pain from the attack lingering. But her pain was the least of her concerns. "Joey, are you and Max okay?"

"I am, but Max isn't," he answered. "Marik used his Millennium Rod on her. He said he trapped her brain in the shadows and she's going to forget everything."

"Oh, no," Emily gasped.

Kaiba approached the arena. "All right, you geeks, clear the field. I'm dueling next and I need to prepare." Everyone listened to him and left the arena to take Max back to her room.


	33. A Duel With Destiny

A Duel with Destiny

Max lied in her bed motionless. Her face carried an expression of pain and fear, but she couldn't tremble or even groan. It pained everyone to see her like this. But there was also a lot of confusion about the situation. They all remembered that Max was possessed by an ancient spirit just like Bakura was and wondered if she was also involved. The spirit was involved, but because the bond between her mind and Max's was so strong, they were both forced to meet their fate. Emily couldn't even use her magic to help Max because of what Malik did. The only way to undo the damage now was to defeat him in a duel. To do that, Yami and Joey would have to continue playing through the rest of the finals. They prayed that Max would be able to hold on for that long before she would lose everything.

"This tournament's gotten way out of hand," said Joey. "Know why?"

"Because there's a mind warping psycho on board?" Duke asked. Everyone just looked at him. "Just being honest."

Serenity gets down to Max's bedside and holds her hand. "Why don't you guys go to the next duel and I'll stay and keep an eye on Max?" she insisted. "I'll be okay and besides, we don't all need to be here."

"Hold on," Joey was saying.

"I'm okay with it," she said again. "If Max were all right, she'd want you to do the same thing. Go out there and be strong for her. I'll stay beside her until you get back." She stands up and continues, "Everyone has taught me so much about being brave and facing my fears; including Max. The way she stood up to Marik in that duel was so incredible. You guys are all so strong and the way you support each other and support me is so amazing. Thank you all. Now it's my turn to help and I can start by being here for Max. It's the least I can do and it's really important to me."

Hearing that, Joey and the others were convinced to watch the next duel. They wondered who this eighth duelist was and why they had never met them. They only hoped that it wasn't another one of Marik's minions. Enough people were on bedrest already.

They went to the stratos dueling arena. Kaiba was about to take his place on the arena until his brother contacted him. As planned, the Winged Dragon of Ra was photographed and the text was being deciphered. There was actually a lot more written on the card than just the chant and Mokuba was going to continue translating it. Kaiba told his brother to contact him again if anything should come up.

Emily wanted to talk to Kaiba, so she called him for his attention. "Kaiba, I need to have a word with you for a minute."

"Let me guess, you want to request an emergency landing to get Max to a hospital, right, Briar? You can forget it. I already told you when Bakura couldn't deal with his injuries. I delay for no one."

"That Kaiba's got a heart of gold," Joey said sarcastically. "He's going to the next round if his opponent doesn't show up."

Finally, Ishizu stepped out of the elevator. Rather than welcoming her or wishing her good luck, Kaiba instead told her, "You've got some nerve showing up late to duel me. Did the thought of facing a duelist as superior as myself make you second guess your abilities? Who are you?"

In answer, Ishizu removes her veil, revealing her face. Yami and Emily recognized her before she even introduced herself. "I am Ishizu Ishtar." Within Malik's mind, Marik was trying to break free, crying for his sister's help.

"It's her," gasped Emily. "The woman from the museum!"

"This is quite a surprise," Kaiba said a little coolly.

"Yes, we meet again, Seto Kaiba."

"I assume you've come to win back Obelisk?"

Ishizu was not here for the tournament glory. She was here to rescue her brother from the evil force controlling him. "For five thousand years, our family has stood guard protecting the pharaoh's tomb and searching for the princess. Marik turned against us and the evil within him is even stronger now. He is my brother," she explained.

Marik continued to beg for his sister's help, but Malik held him back by sealing him in an hourglass prison like he did to Max.

No one expected to hear that. Joey decided that one Ishtar was bad enough, but Emily assured him that Ishizu was a friend.

"If you remember, Kaiba," continued Ishizu, "the Great Goddess Millennia shows me visions of events that are yet to come through this Necklace. And she tells me that you will lose this duel to me."

"Enough with the Millennium Items!" Kaiba shouted. "I don't believe in any of that nonsense, is that clear? As for this duel, just because you were foolish enough to hand me Obelisk the Tormentor doesn't mean that I won't use it to defeat you. And I don't appreciate you using my tournament to solve your personal family issues. I planned this to fulfill my goal of regaining my place as the number one duelist in the world."

"Have you forgotten that it was my idea for you to organize the Battle City tournament to lure duelists like my brother?" Ishizu reminded him. "And my plan worked. My brother is here, but the hardest task is yet to come. The evil within him must be stopped. And this can only be accomplished with the help of the great pharaoh which is precisely why Yugi needed to enter this tournament as well. The ancient pharaoh dwells within Yugi's Millennium Puzzle."

Kaiba scoffed at what he was hearing. "You went through a lot of trouble for some ancient Egyptian fairy tale? I'm surrounded by superstitious nitwits!"

"Do not deny your heritage," said Ishizu. "As I have said before, you can trace your origins back to ancient Egypt."

Kaiba had enough and decided it was time to begin the duel. For all he cared about, he was a better duelist than anyone he ever knew and he intended to win in his own tournament. But Ishizu remained true to her predictions and knew that Kaiba's lack of faith would bring him to his downfall. Kaiba makes the first move by summoning Vorse Raider, a beast-warrior with 1900 attack points. To end his turn, he plays a card face down.

Thanks to the Millennium Necklace, Ishizu could see each move before it was even played out and knew the match would go in her favor. She just had to keep everyone in surprise. Kaiba is a skilled duelist, but he's still got mortal strength compared to the power of the Gods. One would think he had learned his lesson before that he's no match for the power of a Millennium Item. And Ishizu was about to demonstrate the power offered to her by Millennia. Without looking at her cards, she summoned Keldo to the field, a fairy with 1600 defense points. Joey was amazed with what he just saw, but remembered how Esper Roba did the same thing to him in their duel. But Emily promised him that things would be different this time because Ishizu's Millennium powers were very real. But no great power is without its limitations and Ishizu must decide carefully on when would be best to make any predictions.

Ishizu continued her turn by playing Michizuri of Doom, a magic card that allowed her to choose two cards from Kaiba's hand and send them to the graveyard. Kaiba was also permitted to do the same thing. The cards she chose were Polymerization and Kaiser Glider. Kaiba assumed that the only way she could have known he had those cards in his hand was if she was cheating. But there was nothing he could do about it, so he discarded them. He looked at Ishizu's hand and chose Revival Magic and Monster Reborn.

Watching the duel, Malik remembered how Ishizu would use these same tactics against Marik in their games. But now things would be different because Malik was a completely different person.

Vorse Raider attacked Keldo, but Ishizu received no damage because it was in defense mode. To end his turn, Kaiba played another card face down. Ishizu draws a card that will lead her to her victory for when the time is right. To make sure the duel will remain in her favor, she calls upon the Great Goddess to reveal the future. Kaiba does intend to use the Egyptian God card Ishizu gave him, but she has a plan that will defeat the divine beast and gain her victory. First she summons Mudora, a warrior with 1500 attack points. To increase his attack points, Ishizu equips him with the Cestus of Dhagla, giving him 500 extra points.

Mudora attacks Vorse Raider, but not before Kaiba reveals his face down cards. The first was Shrink, a card used to cut his monster's attack points in half. The second was the Crush Card Virus, spreading the disease through her deck and infecting every monster in Ishizu's deck with 1500 or more attack points. It costed him 1050 life points, but it was worth it.

Many of the spectators watched in confusion. If Ishizu could see the future, why didn't she see that coming? Emily, however, had a feeling that she had a plan and falling victim to Kaiba's Virus was part of it. She must know what she's doing if she's willing to do something like that.

Ishizu had no need for powerful monsters, not for the strategy she planned to use to defeat Kaiba. Everything she would need would come to her in time. To buy that time, she played Swords of Revealing Light. Kaiba just figured she was stalling, but Ishizu was making it clear that fate was dictating every move being played out. To end her turn, she plays a card face down.

Kaiba couldn't attack, but that didn't mean he couldn't summon any monsters. He played Des Feral Imp in defense mode and a card face down. Ishizu drew her card and ended her turn. She had no other cards in her hand and she drew a trap, which she wouldn't need to use right now. Besides, she predicted that Kaiba would draw the card that would lead him to his defeat once her Swords of Revealing Light would expire. Kaiba drew his card and ended his turn. Ishizu did the same thing once again. There still wasn't much Kaiba could do either, so he passed once again. For all of Ishizu's drawing and all the time she bought herself, she couldn't summon a single monster. But she didn't need to. She just ended her turn and the effect of her magic card.

As Ishizu predicted, the card Kaiba drew was Obelisk the Tormentor. Now that he had it in his hand, all he needed to do was summon it and that would take time. He switched his Imp to attack mode and dealt 1600 points of damage to Ishizu's life points.

Joey and the others began having second thoughts about what they've been witnessing. It was now clear that Ishizu did know something they didn't. But whether truth or an act, she was in trouble. That made Yami and Emily wonder what would happen if she would lose to Kaiba and if Malik would only get stronger. She joined the tournament to uncover the good inside her brother as well as help them to stop him in his mission of obtaining power.

Kaiba activated his trap Virus Cannon to destroy ten magic cards in Ishizu's deck. That was of no concern to her. It was now time for her to activate her own trap Exchange of the Spirit. Now both players had to exchange the cards in their decks with the cards in their graveyards for the price of 1000 life points from the cardholder. Ishizu got back everything Kaiba destroyed and Kaiba was left with a deck of six cards. How could he let this happen? To lose in his own tournament would mean one thing: humiliation. Sure enough, Ishizu did have a plan and this was only the beginning. Ishizu summoned Kelbek, a fairy with 1500 attack points and played a card face down.

Mokuba continued his efforts on the translation of the text until he checked his brother's status in the duel. Seeing what was going on, he went to the arena to check things out. Both brothers told each other of their progress. The card was still being translated and it was best if the duel continued. Kaiba had to make every move count. He was almost beginning to believe that Ishizu was telling the truth about him losing and her powers being very real. But he would not give up until the last card had been played and he had a long way to go before he would play his last card. Of course, Ishizu knew all of the cards Kaiba played and sent to the graveyard and knew how to stand against them now that they had become his new deck. Virus Cannon, for instance, was played, but Ishizu stopped its effect by playing Null and Void, destroying the Cannon. Ishizu continued to go on about her predictions and everything being played by the hands of fate. Kaiba knew she wouldn't be silenced any time soon. All he could say was for her to make her move.

Joey was confused. Kaiba's monster had more attack points than Ishizu's, so why didn't he attack? It was because Kaiba didn't want to attack. He had to think strategically in the predicament he was in and there was no room for any mistakes. He decided to use Ishizu's monsters for a tribute since he didn't have enough monsters left of his own to summon and he had the right card for it. He just needed her to summon a few more monsters. Ishizu knew what Kaiba needed to do, so she decided to keep playing into his hands because it would slowly lead him to his demise. She summoned another fairy called Zolga, a creature with 1700 attack points.

Emily wasn't going to keep quiet anymore. She didn't always take kindly to Kaiba's attitude, but she still thought of him as her friend. "Kaiba, listen to me," she called to him. "You're in over your head!"

"Stay out of this," he told her.

But she wouldn't. "There's a lot riding on this tournament and you know it's more than just a game! Have you not seen the damage Marik has caused and the people he's hurt? You could be next! There's an ancient magic at work that cannot be denied. If you continue to ignore it, you'll only be endangering yourself."

But he just ignored her and told Ishizu to make her move. Zolga's Cape of Destruction destroyed Des Feral Imp and Kelbek attacked Kaiba directly, leaving him with 1350 life points remaining. To end her turn, she played a card face down. Kaiba got to draw his card, but before he could even play it, Ishizu played Null and Void once again to destroy it. He just played a card face down and ended his turn.

Ishizu knew that the card Kaiba played face down was Soul Exchange, a magic card that allowed him to tribue his opponent's monsters. And she would be willing to let him do it. She summoned Agido and played a card face down; the card that would lead her to her victory. Equipped with her monster was a trap called Blast Held by a Tribute, activated only when the monster bound to it was sacrificed for a tribute. Then the monster summoned by the means of tribute would have the trap beating within it as well. In this case, Obelisk the Tormentor. The Egyptian God card belonged to Ishizu before Kaiba even knew it existed and it was about to lead him to his demise. For when Kaiba would call Obelisk to attack, the trap within him would destroy the divine beast from within and take out the rest of his life points. Everything was going to be just as she predicted. Kaiba had ridiculed Ishizu's powers and turned the Egyptian God card against her and now he was about to pay the price.

Kaiba revealed Soul Exchange and sacrificed Kelbek, Agido, and Zolga to summon Obelisk the Tormentor, but as he declared an attack, something strange was going on. Emily's chest started burning again, meaning the Millennium Star was acting up again. The Millennium Rod also began glowing, acting on its own. "What's going on?" Emily asked in pain.

Kaiba stopped, feeling a strange sensation. _This is crazy,_ he thought to himself _, I've never felt anything like this before._ Then the tablet from the museum appeared before his eyes. He thought that Ishizu was finally getting to him. Suddenly, he saw a tablet depicting the image of the Blue-Eyes Dragon. But what was really shocking to him was seeing the same sorcerer who shared his countenance. He was cradling a pale young girl with wispy white hair along with the Millennium Rod in his hand, kneeling before the tablet. _This feeling is too strong to ignore._

"The Millennium Rod is affecting Kaiba," Yami said, watching what's going on.

"No," Emily said weakly. "I think Millennia herself is trying to tell Kaiba something."

 _My instinct tells me Obelisk isn't the answer. It's as if my Blue-Eyes White Dragon is calling to me. Maybe I should attack Ishizu with Blue-Eyes instead of Obelisk_ , Kaiba wondered, looking at the card in his hand. A red light also shined on his forehead, revealing a strange insignia. It would go against his plans, but Kaiba now knew for sure that he had to win by playing his most trusted creature. He played Silent Doom to resurrect Gadget Soldier in defense mode. Next he sacrificed Gadget Soldier and Obelisk, destroying Ishizu's trap and summoning the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

The pain in Emily's chest began to subside. "What did Kaiba just see? Maybe Millennia showed Kaiba the secret to winning the duel." Millennia herself was trying to convey a message to Kaiba, but Emily could not see what he did because the vision was meant to be seen by his eyes only. Sure enough, it had something to do with his ancient past.

Listening to her, Yugi's thoughts echo in the back of his mind. _Well, Kaiba's destiny is linked to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon._

Watching what Kaiba's doing, Ishizu realizes that this isn't part of her prediction. Then she knew that something within Kaiba awakened and told him to summon his Blue-Eyes White Dragon. No denying they share a bond that goes back five thousand years. After all, he was the ancient keeper of the White Dragon. That made her wonder if Kaiba would start believing in destiny. She could even see the mark on Kaiba's forehead and knew that it was the element represented by one of Millennia's chosen warriors; the element of wisdom.

It was true that by losing the duel, Ishizu could no longer continue her journey to rescue her brother. But with this loss, she still achieved a great gain. "Very impressive, Kaiba. I can't say Millennia intended for you to lose. I now see that she wanted you to win for you are one of her chosen warriors."

But Kaiba still stubbornly refused to listen. "I won this duel for the same way I intend to win this tournament: my superior skills and intelligence."

"Perhaps, but you taught me a valuable lesson about the nature of destiny and for that, I am grateful. You have given me hope for changing the future of my brother." But the journey would continue to be more difficult and Ishizu could no longer continue to rely on Millennia alone. She would also need the wisdom and strength of the people around her. "I may have lost the duel, but I have gained something of far greater importance," continued Ishizu. "The realization that if I am to win the battle for my brother's spirit, I will need help even from you, Kaiba. So thank you."

"Believe whatever you need to, Ishizu, but I'm only in this for myself," Kaiba said, leaving the arena. He also told Yami to begin preparing for the next round of the finals. He even wished him good luck. Despite his stubbornness, Kaiba will accept his role destiny has played for him. But hopefully, what happened up there taught him something valuable as well. He did say he couldn't ignore what he felt about what he was seeing; especially about him and that girl. Although Kaiba had never seen her before, he had a feeling he knew her somewhere from long ago and she meant as much as the Blue-Eyes White Dragon did to him.


	34. The Tomb Keepers' Secret

The Tomb Keepers' Secret

The first round of the Battle City finals had come to an end and there was enough dueling for tonight. The rest of the finals would be played off once the blimp would reach its destination. It was good to know that there would be no more duels in the sky. Many of the passengers were feeling sick because of the altitude.

Before retiring to their rooms to bed, Yugi and the rest of his friends decided to rejoin Serenity and check on Max. On their way, they met up with Ishizu. "Yugi, Princess, I'm sorry about what happened to your friend. May I pay her a visit with you?"

"Yes, of course," they both answered.

They all walked inside and saw that nothing had changed. Max was still suffering as Serenity remained at her bedside. It continued to torture Joey inside. "I'm sorry I let you down, Max," he whispered. "But mark my words, I promise you'll get your revenge against Marik."

"No, Joey," Serenity immediately said. "Can't you see that anger and revenge will only make things worse? That's how Max got to be like this. Marik is full of so much anger that he gains pleasure in watching people suffer." Hearing that, Joey agrees that things don't need to be harder than they already are. "When I took my bandages off, this was not what I wanted to see," the auburn girl said, crying.

"Serenity, it'll be okay," Tea promises, placing her hand on her shoulder.

"There is hope ahead," said Ishizu. "For where there is evil, there is also good." Everyone turns around to listen to her. "Marik was good once. He began life as an innocent child like everyone does. But that innocence disappeared, leaving a dark hole in my brother's heart. This happened on the night Marik received the tomb keeper's initiation and inherited the task of protecting the pharaoh's tomb; a task he always resented. Now this dark presence has taken over my brother's body."

Yugi takes a step forward. "Ishizu, what happens if there's no way to save your brother?" He didn't want something like that to be possible, but after all the damage that's been done, it seemed like it was already too late to save Marik. "I know you said it was my destiny to save the world from destruction, but I didn't think it would mean saving your brother. I thought it meant defeating him and ending his plan."

Joey agrees. "Yugi's got a good point, Ishizu. What if it's already too late to save your brother from the evil within? I mean, you've got to admit, the guy's about as nasty as they come."

"It's hard to imagine someone like him ever being nice," said Tea.

Ishizu understood their concerns, but she knew her brother better than anyone else did. That was why she was asking everyone to believe her. "There's still much you don't understand. It wasn't that long ago when my brother began to lose his way and turn towards the darkness. For generations, my family has lived in secrecy, deep beneath the desert sands watching over the tomb of the pharaoh. For five thousand years, an Ishtar has stood guard waiting for his return. As the firstborn Ishtar son, Marik was required to bear the pharaoh's secret on his back and forbidden to ever leave the tomb."

But Marik would not let go of his wish for freedom. He often thought about running away and beginning a whole new life. A few days after receiving the initiation, Marik decided to change his life forever. He wanted to see the world with his own eyes and live his moment of freedom. He tried to escape into the world, but Ishizu stopped him. It was still nightfall, so their father was still sleeping. But Ishizu didn't want to take any chances.

Ishizu was a tomb keeper as well, but she had more knowledge of the outside world and its wonders despite never spending a day in it. So Marik asked his elder sister to come with him. "You promised you would take me outside someday, so why can't we go now? I want to see the outside world," Marik begged.

"The outside world is off-limits to us," Ishizu reminded her brother. If their father knew they had wandered the desert or interacted with the surface dwellers, they would face severe consequences.

But Marik wasn't worried. "Relax, Sis. Odion will cover for us and Father will never suspect a thing. Come on, Ishizu, I want to live like a normal person for once. Please? Just this one time. Aren't you a little curious?"

Odion already agreed to help Marik achieve his dream. "I promise I'll take care of everything," he promised Ishizu. It was his duty to ensure Marik's safety, but he also had to carry out his wishes even if it was against Master Ishtar's orders. That was one of Ishizu's darkest worries. Odion would be the one to pay for their troubles because of that matter.

Finally, she gave in to her brother's begging. "Okay, Marik. If it's that important to you-," but her little brother wrapped his arms around her in excitement. "But promise me this: after one hour, we return home and never speak of this again."

Marik promised. Even if his freedom would only last for a little while, it would be enough to be thankful for. So the two siblings passed through the corridors, leaving Odion to make the room a little convincing for their father that they were still in bed.

Ishizu knew the dangers she and her brother would face for violating their clan's code, but she also knew that Marik deserved a chance to feel the light of the open world. Little did she know that the light would also awaken the darkness within her brother.

They came to the town marketplace and explored in excitement. Marik did, anyway. Ishizu could not ease up or forget her worries. She had to keep telling her brother to slow down, not to touch anything, not to speak to anyone, and not to get too attached to anything.

But Marik was having too much fun to heed his sister's words of caution; especially when he noticed a magazine on the ground being stepped on by passersby. "This isn't right," Marik said, picking it up and dusting it. "Book should never be just thrown away." He looked through the pages and saw lots of interesting pictures. "Hey, this isn't like my scriptures at all. This is fun!" But what really interested him was a picture of a man riding a motorcycle. Then at the nearby stand, he saw a television and heard a strange voice. He approached it and saw a man bidding his girl goodbye and riding away on his own motorcycle.

The shopkeeper noticed that Marik was watching in awe, making him wonder if he had never seen a television before in his life. He even said that out loud to Marik. When Ishizu heard the shopkeeper ask Marik that, she began pulling her brother away.

Marik's curiosity continued to get the better of him and he had to ask his questions. "Ishizu, what was that in that glass box?"

"It's a TV," she corrected.

"Ah, TV," Marik echoed. "But what was that strange machine inside the TV?"

"A motorcycle," she answered.

"I want to ride one. I just have to." Then Marik remembered, "But as long as I'm a tomb keeper, I'll never be able to watch a TV or ride a motorcycle."

Ishizu finally stopped. She knew that Marik had seen too much and she needed to get him home immediately. "Marik, our time is up. We have to go home."

"Not now!"

"You promised you would obey," she reminded him.

Marik remembers his promise and agrees to go home. "Before we go, can I bring home the picture of this motorcycle?" Ishizu wouldn't allow it. If their father discovered they had brought home a souvenir, he would know that they had been in the marketplace. But Marik promised he would hide it carefully. "Please? It's just one picture."

Ishizu gave in to her brother's pleading once more. "Okay, you can take it, but promise me that you'll hide it." Happy to hear that, Marik carefully rips the page from the magazine. They were on their way home until their path was blocked by a mysterious man. It was Shadi.

"The pharaoh and princess will soon return to this world," he told the young siblings. "Prepare for them. Ready yourselves, for your lives and destinies depend upon it. But I warn you, if you reject your sacred duty, your future will bring nothing but tragedy."

"Who are you?" Ishizu asked, but the stranger was already leaving. "Don't go! How do you know so much?" Ishizu was beginning to realize that she had made a mistake for seeing the world when she knew she and her brother were forbidden and now she was about to pay the price for her actions. Exposing Marik to a world in which he didn't belong caused him to reject their family and the evil within him was slowly growing stronger.

But she didn't spend a lot of time thinking about that. She and Marik continued to pass through the market in hopes of finding Shadi. "What did this stranger mean when he warned us?" Marik asked his sister. "Where did that guy come from and how did he know we were waiting for the pharaoh and looking for the princess?"

"Marik," Ishizu softly snapped, "you mustn't speak of the pharaoh or the princess right now!" Then she began regretting ever making a dangerous promise. "We never should have come here. Just forget about that stranger. Forget about everything and let's go home," she pleaded. But she knew it would already be impossible for Marik to forget. He didn't want to as much as she did. He didn't want to go home.

"Why do we have to go back down into the darkness?" he complained, though he knew the answer.

"Marik, it's just not our choice," she reminded him once more. They left the market and made it to the gate.

But Marik wanted to spend his last moment of freedom with a great memory and a great hope. He sat on a piece of rubble, pretending to be riding a motorcycle on the open road and feeling the wind. _Someday I'll ride one of these,_ he thought, looking at his picture. _I'll ride right out of the darkness below. I'll ride away forever and no one will be able to stop me. Not my father, not some stupid pharaoh or princess, no one. I'll finally be free and control my own destiny._ Finally, he got off the rubble and followed his sister, imitating the noises of a motorcycle.

As they passed through the gate and began descending down the stairs, Marik noticed something front of them. "What's that right there?" Ishizu saw it too and realized it was an alarm and had gone off. She quickly ran down the stairs. Marik followed after her, demanding to know what was wrong. "Ishizu, what's going on? Is Father going to be angry with us?"

They ran through the corridors and stopped at their room. It had been thoroughly ransacked with the blankets and books scattered all over the floor. Their father knew they had escaped into the world. What was worse was that Odion was in danger. Marik and Ishizu went to Master Ishtar's study and saw their father beating him.

"Odion, you were supposed to _protect_ Marik!" Master Ishtar yelled. "I want you to leave us and _never_ return!" Finally, he noticed his children's presence. "Marik, Ishizu, how dare you! You know you are forbidden to walk among the outsiders and now Odion must pay for your disobedience and leave us forever! That decision is final!"

Marik tried to approach Odion, but felt a pain in his head like something was trying to break free. Malik had now taken over and chuckled in a sinister manner.

"Stop laughing right now!" Master Ishtar ordered.

"You don't scare me anymore," Malik said, approaching the Millennium Items. "From now on, these Items are mine."

"You shall inherit those when the time is right and no sooner," said Master Ishtar.

"Why don't you keep quiet, old man," Malik asked, gripping the Millennium Rod. "I'm making my own rules now."

"I order you to put that down now!" Master Ishtar yelled. "Marik, drop it!" But Malik used its power to pin him to the wall. "My son," Master Ishtar groaned.

"Marik, stop this right now!" Ishizu pleaded.

"This doesn't concern you, Ishizu," Malik says, pinning her as well.

"You're not Marik," she groaned, finally realizing it.

"Very perceptive," said Malik. He approaches Master Ishtar and banishes his mind to the Shadow Realm. After that, he decides to do the same thing to Odion.

"No, Master," Odion groans. "You need me to protect you."

Seeing him like this, Marik quickly regains control. "Oh, what have I done?" he gasps, getting on his knees and crying. He actually didn't know what just happened because it wasn't his doing. Though his hands are bound, Odion manages to place his arms over Marik to console him.

Then Shadi appears, scaring Marik. "Marik, you have taken your first step on a dangerous path of ultimate darkness. Now you must turn back before it's too late. Soon the pharaoh and his daughter will return. Turn back," he said again and disappeared.

Ishizu finally finished her story by saying that was the first time she met the darkness and realized it was born out of her brother's anger and jealousy. The others still weren't too sure that they should feel sad for Marik for being who he is today because of that.

"Ishizu, your brother trapped Max's mind in the Shadow Realm and she's living in her worst nightmares," Joey tells her. "And I'm gonna make sure he pays," he silently vows.

"It is possible to destroy the evil within my brother without destroying the good," she tells everyone. "I realize now that destinies can be changed. And Yugi has the power to do it with the help of the pharaoh."

Then they heard the announcement that it would be time for everyone to return to their rooms in fifteen minutes. Many of the guys wanted to stay in Joey's room because it was big enough to fit ten people inside. The problem was there was only one bed and some of the chairs wouldn't provide much comfort. Emily decided to stay in Yugi's room. She wouldn't mind sleeping in a chair and letting Yugi use the bed. He was the one who needed his rest for the conclusion of the finals tomorrow.

Emily was on her way to the room with Yugi until Ishizu stopped her. "Wait, Princess. I must speak with you for a while."

"Go on," Yugi told her. "I'll wait for you."

"Okay then," Emily says and follows Ishizu back into her room. They both sit down near the window. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I think you already know this, Princess, but the Millennium Star shard I gave you has also been in my family's protection for generations," Ishizu tells her. "We've been safeguarding for you in hopes of one day returning it to you." While the Ishtars had been protecting the pharaoh's tomb, only a few individuals were chosen to search for the princess. The task was not very easy, however. The only hope they had of finding her was for the Millennium Star shard to make some sort of resonation. In her younger years, Ishizu had seen the shard shimmer and glow. Her father said it meant that the princess was somewhere out there. Many of his subjects had come across hundreds of girls all over the country and the shard would not react to any of them. Because of their limits, they could not expand their search.

Since it was Marik's heritage to guard the pharaoh's tomb, Ishizu was decided to be the one to protect the Millennium Star shard. Until her time would come, her father taught her all she would need to know. It was actually because of this that Marik wanted his freedom. He actually learned about the Millennium Star and the princess before he received the tomb keeper's initiation. That made him decide that he would rather explore the world as well as search for the princess than live in the darkness protecting the pharaoh's tomb.

Ishizu left her father's study after whispering her prayers to the Great Goddess. Sitting on Master Ishtar's desk were the Millennium Rod and Necklace. The Millennium Star shard was there too, bottled inside a small jar. Marik saw her and asked her, "Hey, Sister. What are you doing in here?"

Hearing her brother's voice snapped her out of it. "Oh, nothing," she lied. "Just praying."

"Oh, sorry if I disturbed your thoughts," he apologized.

"No, it's all right," Ishizu says, dusting herself.

Marik notices something in her hands. "What have you got there?"

She follows his gaze and places her hands behind her back. "Come here and I'll tell you." She felt like Marik had a right to know what this was about and he wasn't the only one with an important role for the family. Marik had been inside Master Ishtar's study before and was curious to know what that strange object was in the jar.

Looking at it, Marik realizes, "Oh, it's that strange light Father keeps on his desk."

"This is actually a shard of the Millennium Star," Ishizu clarifies.

"A shard?" Marik echoes. "Where's the rest of it?"

"It's in the possession of the pharaoh's daughter," she answered.

"I didn't know he had a daughter," Marik said.

"Well, it's true," Ishizu tells him. "I don't know much about her except that her name is Emily."

"I've never heard a name like that," said Marik. "It's kind of weird, but it also sounds pretty."

Ishizu smiled in agreement. "Anyway, just like it's our duty to protect the pharaoh's tomb, it's also our duty to protect the Millennium Star shard so that we can return it to the princess and help her claim her destiny."

"But she could be anywhere," said Marik. "How can we find her?"

"Have you noticed how the shard sometimes shimmers and glows?" Ishizu asks Marik. "That's because it's resonating to her presence. It's true that she's somewhere out there, but this shard will help us find her."

Listening to what his sister is telling him, Marik wonders if this princess is a beautiful young girl and what kinds of powers the Millennium Star will give her. "Ishizu, do you think we'll ever get to meet the princess?"

"I'm not sure, Marik," she answered in honesty. "But I hope we do someday."

"Me too," said Marik. "I want to meet her. I just have to." From that day, all Marik could ever think about was searching the ends of the world to find and meet the princess. He wondered what kind of person she would be once he would meet her. He wanted to find the princess more than he wanted to be a tomb keeper.

Hearing Ishizu's story, Emily assumes, "So Marik was in love with me when he heard about me?"

"You could say that," Ishizu answers. "He wondered what you would be like when he would meet you. Now that he has, I guess you're all he expected."

"His feelings and thoughts seemed pure, but I guess they got dark when his other personality came along." Thinking about that made Emily remember the times Marik shared his thoughts on making her his queen.

"Yes, you're right," said Ishizu. "And it was because of Marik's dark side that I took it upon myself to find you and protect you." Fearful that Malik would return, Ishizu continued to protect the Millennium Star shard and keep her brother from getting it. She also feared that if he found the princess and tried to claim her power, destruction would follow. But Marik did find Emily first, before she even knew she was a princess. She didn't know who she was until after Ishizu gave her the Star shard.

"I'm afraid I can't protect you from Marik's dark side," Ishizu apologized. "And I'm sorry to have to ask for so much from you and Yugi."

"I understand, Ishizu, and it's really okay. You said it was our destiny to stop him and we have the power to do it. I may still be understanding my own power, but I think I can use it to save your brother."

"I would be forever grateful," said Ishizu.

"I need to thank you too," said Emily. "For telling me more about you and Marik. I feel like my feelings towards him are beginning to change. I feel like he really is a friend who needs to be rescued. And also, thank you for helping me and Yugi start to face our destinies. There are still many mysteries about the ancient past that we are unsure of and need to unlock, but I'm sure we'll find what we're looking for."

Ishizu smiles at Emily. "It is an honor, my princess. I'll never be able to thank you enough for your kind words and caring heart. All I can do is wish you and Yugi well on your journey."

Emily smiles back. "That's all we can ask." She stands up and says, "I'd better get back to Yugi."

"Before you go, I have something I must give to you."

"Thanks, but what is it?"

"It is a powerful object that I no longer have any use for." Ishizu removes the Millennium Necklace and secures it around Emily's neck.

"But I don't understand."

"Fate chose me to wear the Millennium Necklace, but it is time I passed it to the once who is destined to rescue the world from darkness and despair," Ishizu tells her. "You see, it no longer shows me the future. I have carried out my task and now it is your turn, Princess. I understand that you and Yugi are working together to fulfill the same task. Besides, it will be safer in your hands."

Emily places her hand over the Necklace. Ishizu was putting a lot of faith in her and Yugi. Ishizu walked Emily back to Yugi's room, but Emily stopped before entering. "Ishizu, I have a question. If Yugi and Yami manage to defeat the dark force controlling your brother, then does that mean that the world will be safe from danger? What if there's another force of evil out there?"

Ishizu couldn't provide an answer. All she could say was, "I'm not sure, but you and Yugi have the power to discover these answers." Then Ishizu walked her back to her own room. "Good evening, Princess Emily."

Yugi left the door to his room unlocked so Emily would be able to enter. When he saw her come in, he asked, "So what did Ishizu have to tell you?"

"She gave me the Millennium Necklace," she tells him. "Now we have two Millennium Items. We'll need all the help we can get from Millennia to put an end to Marik's plan."

"I agree." He notices a distressed look on her face and asks, "What's wrong?"

"I'm scared, Yugi," she answers in honesty. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight."

Yugi sighs and looks away. "I know how you feel."

"It's natural for you two to feel frightened," Yami tells them. "But we can do this if we stay together."

"But things have gotten way out of hand," Emily says, sitting at the bedside. "Just when I think I've got Marik figured out, it's like the evil within him increases tenfold. Don't get me wrong, I still think we have a chance of stopping him, but my fear is making me feel unsure. You saw what happened to Max. Marik's insane and we're the ones he's really after." She sighs and wonders, "Let me guess: as long as you and Yugi trust in the Heart of the Cards, you can defeat Marik. But this is so much more than just a game and I don't want to lose any more friends," she says, lowering her head and crying on the sheets. "This madness has to stop!" To try and put her at ease, Yugi softly rubs her back. He didn't care if the blankets were getting wet or how long she would need to cry. He wanted to do the same thing.


	35. Emily Meets Mystery

Emily Meets Mystery

Emily finally managed to calm down and fall asleep. She didn't position herself on one of the chairs and ended up falling asleep on Yugi's bedside. Around her neck, the Millennium Necklace was glowing, interfering with Emily's dreams.

Emily found herself in the same location as before. It was the same valley in the desert of Egypt. But the surroundings were different. The ground had piles of rubble all over it like some sort of building or temple was left in ruins. "This place again," she whispers to herself. "I know I've been here before and not just in my dreams."

Then she heard a familiar voice. "This is your home, Emily. This is what used to be the Egyptian kingdom."

"Hello," Emily called, looking around. "Who's there?" Then a light shined on top of a pedestal in the center of the area. A figure was coming into view. It was revealed as a woman clad in a white dress. She opened her eyes and Emily saw that they were identical to her own eyes; blue like sapphire and carrying an expression of innocence. This woman also looked like Emily except that she was older and had hair white as the clouds.

"Emily, at last we meet," said the mysterious woman.

"It's you," Emily realized. "You're the woman whose voice I've been hearing from within the Millennium Star. Are you the ancient spirit from which it dwells?"

The mysterious woman couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, Emily, forgive me for my amused expression, but I cannot help but find your curiosity adorable. You're like a little kitten who's just beginning to venture into the world."

This really wasn't helping Emily at all. This woman was speaking to her as if she had met her before. "I'm sorry, but who are you? You look familiar to me, but I'm not sure why."

She recollects herself and clears her throat. "Forgive me for being so mysterious. I suppose I cannot blame you for not remembering me, let alone even knowing who I am. I am your mother: Queen Mystery," she introduced.

Emily's eyes widen. "My mother?" she echoes. Then she remembers the tablet of the family portrait from the museum. The woman she was talking to was the one holding Yami's hand.

"Yes, and just as you first wondered, my spirit lives within the Millennium Star. And from within I remain as I guide you on your journey. Unlike your friend Yugi, you are not a vessel. I cannot exist in your world."

"You know about Yugi?"

"I know a lot about many of your friends," the queen answered. "I know that some of them are blessed with the powers of the Gods as well and that some of them are awakening as Millennia's chosen warriors. These warriors must also unite to save the world just as they did five thousand years ago."

Emily wanted Mystery to elaborate on the matter, but she had other questions. "I don't want to sound like I'm accusing you for anything and please don't take it the wrong way, but were you responsible for the pain I was feeling before?"

"It was not my doing," Mystery answered. "Within the Millennium Star is the Great Goddess herself. She is able to do certain things even in the state she is in. Bluntly speaking, the Millennium Star is able to act of its own will. Just like the time she helped your friend Kaiba to awaken in his duel against Ishizu."

"Is Kaiba one of Millennia's chosen warriors?"

The queen nods. "Royal Egyptian blood flows through Kaiba's veins, just like you and Yugi and the Ishtars. He may stubbornly refuse to accept his ancient past, but he will in time with your help and the rest of your friends'. I know you care a lot about Kaiba. I felt the same way towards a dear friend of mine and he was very similar to Kaiba."

"This friend," Emily was asking, "he wouldn't happen to have been a sorcerer, would he?" She wondered if the queen was referring to the sorcerer from the tablet; the one who shared Kaiba's countenance and betrayed the royal family.

The queen understood her daughter's question. "Yes, he was." She holds out her hand. "I know that you seek many answers about the mysteries of the past. I can help you find those answers. Come with me and I will take you on a journey to the past." Emily takes her mother's hand and their surroundings begin to change.

They find themselves in the palace courtyard. Mystery begins her story by explaining how she and Yami met. She was training to be a magician in the sacred arts and he was next in line to inherit the throne. They were very enchanted with each other for their talents and what they could do. It was love at first sight, but the more time they spent getting to know each other and helping each other to become what they were achieving to be, the more their love for each other grew stronger.

How Mystery got the Millennium Star was another story, but she explained anyway, saying that it had been in the protection of the royal family for years until its guardian would arrive. Mystery was amazed to be discovered as the guardian of the Millennium Star. She knew the dangers she would face, but she was willing to take on all responsibilities.

Time passed and Mystery became a great magician and mastered all of the Millennium Star's spells and secrets. Yami had become a noble leader of the country. They had accepted their feelings for one another, but were not ready to take the next step.

"I was a little afraid of the thought of marrying your father," Mystery confessed to Emily. "I guess I was considering the customs that had to be taken into account. Yami had to be courted to a woman of royal blood."

"Were you?"

"Yes, but something else was holding me back. I started asking myself why I was even in love with this man. He had a unique appearance, which I liked. He was rich and powerful, which is the kind of quality a woman seeks in a man. I didn't want to marry Yami for selfish reasons. I didn't care if I would become rich or powerful as well. Then I realized, I was in love with him for the kind of person he was within; a kind and caring friend. I wondered if Yami felt the same way towards me."

"I'm sure he did," Emily said, assuring her.

"I thought so too. You see, when I was young, some boys wanted me for selfish reasons like my beauty and power. I wanted someone whose love for me was true; someone who would love me for me. And Yami did."

"You must've been really happy when you found that out," said Emily.

"I was, but there was a lot more I had to take into account," the queen was saying, "such as how my love for Yami would affect the people around me; like my friends and his."

Then Emily saw the sorcerer who looked like Kaiba sitting against one of the trees. He was even holding the Millennium Rod in his hand. "Kaiba!"

"His name is Seto," the queen tells her, "just like your friend." Emily walks up to him and tries to talk to him, but she doesn't get a response. He instead stands up and walks right through her. "Don't be so surprised. The people you see here are shadows of the past and cannot interact with you."

"Sorry," Emily apologized. "I guess I was carried away."

Mystery forgives her and decides to continue with the story. "Seto was Yami's friend before he was mine. They were very close; practically like brothers. When Seto was a boy, he lost his family to tragedy and moved into the palace in hopes of having a better life. Helping him every step of the way was your father. And he helped him in return so he would be prepared for when he would take the throne."

"Wow, that's amazing," Emily whispers. To think, in one life, two people she cared about would be bitter rivals, but in another, they would be the best of friends. They were even smiling at each other cheerfully with affection. But when she saw Seto look at Mystery, she sensed a bit of sadness in his eyes.

Following her daughter's gaze, Mystery asks, "Have you been looked at with those eyes before?"

"No, but I have seen Kaiba express them towards someone he loves deeply."

"Yes, Seto was thinking about someone he loved dearly," Mystery tells her. "And every time he saw me, he thought about her." Mystery eventually learned that Seto was in love with another girl who shared her countenance. She loved him too, but their love for each other could never be complete because she sacrificed herself to save his life; leaving behind her power to protect him.

Seeing Mystery made Seto's heart hurt; especially when she was with Yami. But he kept reminding himself that Mystery was not his lost love. But the pain was hard to ignore. He loved Mystery and wanted her. But Seto would not forget Yami and that he loved Mystery too. As Seto said himself, Yami was his best friend; his brother. He loved him very much and didn't want to do anything to hurt him. But the tension was too great for him to endure any longer.

After seeing Mystery and Yami together and sharing their feelings for each other long enough, Seto had an emotional breakdown and fell in tears. He burst out crying from the torture of his emotions. Mystery sensed that Seto was suffering because of her and decided she had to be the one to set things right. So she came to Seto and saw him lying in his bed.

Seto's face was stained from the tears running down his cheeks. Finally, he confessed his feelings and said to Mystery, "I love you, Mystery. Please become my wife."

Mystery was happy to hear Seto confess his feelings for her. She loved him just as she loved the rest of her friends, but she had to be honest and reveal to whom her heart belonged. "I'm sorry, Seto. I'm happy to hear that you love me. I love you as well, as a friend and a member of my family. I have always loved you that way, but King Yami is special to me."

Hearing that, Seto sobbed and smiled with great joy because he was happy to hear that Mystery loved his brother. He even already knew that Yami felt the same way towards her. So he spoke his gratitude to her and began recovering. Finally, Yami came and saw what was going on. He was glad to see his friend and fiancé finally bonding like friends. He was even happy to see that his best friend was feeling better. Seto finally accepted that Yami and Mystery belonged together and would make each other very happy.

The story was bringing tears to Emily's eyes. Seeing Seto express such heart and compassion made her believe that Kaiba was the same person on the inside and would show it one day.

"Seto was feeling better and showed it a lot since that day. He was even happy for us when we said our vows of everlasting love and got married," said Mystery. "But I'm afraid it was not meant to last. The emotional burden was starting to take its toll on Seto's heart once again when Yami and I began expecting you. He started seeing me as his lost love again and thought the child I was carrying should be his instead of Yami's."

"I guess that makes sense," said Emily. "I mean, something like that happens sometimes."

"But although I saw the pain in Seto's heart, I didn't know how or if I could remedy it. But I figured Yami could since he knew Seto better than I did."

The torture in Seto's heart was like the darkness was affecting him like a disease. He felt like the Dark Lord was urging Seto to attack and kill Yami for taking all he deserved. But Seto remembered that Mystery was Yami's wife and not his lost love and that it was his child. But the Dark Lord kept telling Seto that deep down he agreed and wanted to take back all that was taken from him by his brother.

Seto confessed his problems to Yami and made a frightening plea. "Pharaoh, I need you to do something for me."

"Anything, Seto."

"If I should do anything to hurt you or your family," then he gulps and strengthens his voice. "I want you to kill me."

Yami's eyes widen. "Seto! But why?"

"I know not if I can continue to fight this pain in my heart for very long. It comes back stronger and is controlling me inside and out. I am afraid I may end up doing something regretful and cause more pain and suffering. I can't bear to let that happen. That is why I want you to kill me before that can happen."

"I will do no such thing," Yami promised. "You are my friend, Seto; my brother. We made a pact that we would always take care of each other and protect each other. I will not allow the darkness inside to continue to torture you. Even if you do something beyond atonement, I will never kill you because you are my brother. The bond between our family is strong and can overcome anything. My family is your family too; remember that."

Seto reflects on his younger years when he and Yami always had each other's backs and became close like brothers. That made him believe that he would be able to overcome the dark influences and remember the bond he shared with his family. Mystery wasn't Seto's love, but she was still his family; meaning that the child she carried was part of his family as well. Trusting in Yami's words, Seto agrees and hugs his brother.

Mystery continues her story and the scene changes once again. "You finally came along when spring was starting. I remember it so well. It was a cool night and the skies were clear. When you were born, the Millennium Star emerged from my heart and began to reside in yours. I was so happy that you were finally here. You even opened your eyes and looked at me. I told your father we had to give you a name. By looking at you, he decided that your name would be Emily. You opened your eyes once more and smiled at him. Your father and I were so happy that night," she says, crying as she watches the scene.

"Queen Mystery," Emily was asking, "Of all names for girls-,"

"Why Emily?" the queen finishes. Emily nods. "If you listen closely, you will find that your name sounds almost like 'Millennia'. We thought your name would honor the Great Goddess because you were one of her new children."

"I guess that makes sense," says Emily. "How was Seto taking all of this?"

"Seto was very happy when he met you," Mystery answers. "He even helped us to take care of you. You also seemed to be very happy with him." Her smile disappears once more. "Seto seemed like he was forgetting his sadness, but he began to feel tortured once more. He still loved all of us and didn't want to do anything to hurt any of us. He thought he could fight the pain by trying to protect us."

Seto remembered that as Millennia's followers, the royal family had many enemies who were servants to the Dark Lord. Now that the new princess was the new guardian of the Millennium Star, Lord Cobalt's minions would seek her out and try to kill her. Other than that, many sorcerers would find claiming the Millennium Star would be a lot easier now that it was residing in the heart of a helpless infant. Seto shared his concerns about those matters with the king and queen. Plus, the powers of the Millennium Star would be too dangerous for the princess to handle. Yami didn't want to argue, but he promised Seto that the Great Goddess would not harm his child. But he trusted his brother's concerns and agreed that it would be wise if the queen took back the Millennium Star. Happy to hear that, Seto dismissed himself and returned to his chamber.

But when he was alone in his room, he heard a voice in his head. The Dark Lord was trying to communicate with him. "I know this does not satisfy you," said the Dark Lord. "I know you of your weakness in wanting to obtain power. You don't want to protect the royal family. You want the Millennium Star."

"You're wrong," Seto protested, sitting on his knees and placing his hands against his head.

"There is nothing you can hide from me, mortal. I understand your bitterness towards the royal family."

"I feel no bitterness towards my family," Seto argues. "Do not try to torture me with past feelings. It's all behind me."

"If that's so, then why don't you take matters into your hands? You know the dangers I pose. Prove to me that your past is not your today and that you are not the weak mortal I take you for." Then the Dark Lord disappears.

 _He's torturing me,_ Seto wonders to himself. _I have to do something that won't cause me to end up endangering my family_. Then he got an idea. He decided to get rid of the Millennium Star itself by taking it far away. That way, Cobalt's minions would never attack the royals.

It was the night of the full moon, the perfect time to put his plan into motion. Using his Millennium Rod, Seto knew that the Millennium Star still lived inside the princess' heart. Disguised in a hooded robe, he takes the child and heads out into the desert with his apprentice who turns out to be an ancient version of Joey Wheeler.

This shocked Emily. "Joey? He has a role in this too?"

"Joseph was one of the royal servants who worked for us. Seto took him as his apprentice for when he would one day take his place."

They came to the remains of what used to be a temple and mounted off of their horses. "The Dark Lord thinks you want to steal the Millennium Star so you can use it for yourself?" Joseph asked his master.

"He is trying to convince me that I want to hurt the royal family," he tells his apprentice. "I have to do this. It's the only way to protect the princess."

"I don't like this," Joseph was saying. "We never should have taken her away."

"I know what I'm doing."

Joseph was still against it. "Master, please," he softly pleaded, "I have a sinking feeling that something terrible is going to happen if you do this."

Seto points his Millennium Rod to his apprentice. "Don't speak again," he warns. Joseph gulps and backs away. He didn't want to face the consequences he would for upsetting his master. Besides, Seto was a skilled sorcerer and assumed he could successfully perform the spell without hurting the child. But the truth was this would be a dangerous task. "When the full moon is in the sky, she who holds the Millennium Star must release it from her heart once she bathes in its light. When the Millennium Star is released, I will seize it and have it disappear from us." He gently placed the infant on a pedestal and began praying his wish for the Millennium Star to come forth.

But the pharaoh and queen knew something terrible was afoot. It didn't take long for them to realize that their daughter was missing. When Yami found out that Seto was gone too, he had a bad feeling his brother was behind this. Through his Millennium Puzzle, the Great Goddess helped them to locate their servants and their daughter. When they got to the ruins, they saw Seto performing the spell.

"The Millennium Star," Seto says, lifting his hand.

"Don't touch it!" Mystery yells, but it's too late. As Seto barely brushes his fingers against it, the Star releases a force of magic, pushing him away. The princess was not spared and ended up getting hurt as well.

"Did Seto know what he was doing could have killed us?" Emily asked.

"He did, but he was willing to risk it," Mystery answered.

"But he just wanted to help, right?"

"I wondered that after hearing his reasons for his actions, but his actions only seemed to prove to me and Yami that he was trying to help himself more than he was trying to help us." What the queen didn't realize was that the Dark Lord had been speaking directly to Seto, distorting his mind and altering his wishes; making Seto want what the Dark Lord wanted.

The pain in Seto's heart started to get worse as Yami was beating him and reprimanding him for his actions. But even if Seto had committed a crime worthy of death, Yami had already promised his brother that he would not kill him. But Seto felt like he deserved to be sentenced to death even if he was just doing it to help his family because he still ended up bringing pain upon them. Understanding Seto's reasons helped Yami to settle down a little bit, but he would still not forgive him for nearly killing his daughter. How the child even survived was a miracle that baffled her parents.

Left alone in his room to recover, Seto spent his time thinking. He assumed that he had only ended up proving the Dark Lord right. His actions made it seem like he wanted to hurt the royals, but his reasons were because he wanted to help them. Seto wanted Yami to kill him for doing something like this. Knowing his brother wouldn't, Seto decided to do it himself and went to his personal treasury. He took a dagger that belonged to his previous master.

He was about to pierce it through his chest until something stopped him. The Dark Lord's voice rang through his ears once again. "Why drag out this torment, Seto? All you're doing is avoiding the simplest solution."

"Go away," Seto snaps.

"Can't you see that this isn't fair for you? Your brother has taken from you all that you rightfully deserve. You even feel that his child should have been yours instead."

"No, the queen is not her. She is his wife and the princess is his child."

"Seto, if you truly want to end your suffering, then you must take back all that the pharaoh has taken from you. You know you want to and he deserves it for hurting you. He promised you that he would help you, but he has ignored you even when he has seen you in pain." The Dark Lord grins and shakes his head. "How selfish of him to ignore his brother and pay attention to his own happiness."

Seto begins changing his mind as he hears what Cobalt is saying, agreeing that his brother hadn't been keeping his promise and had instead been leaving him to continue to suffer. The pain started turning into bitterness and jealousy. The darkness was beginning to take over him. He decides to heed Cobalt's word and settle things with Yami once and for all.

As Emily watched what was going on, she knew that they were going to duel. The monsters they summoned to do battle on their behalf were Dark Magician and Blue-Eyes White Dragon. As the two monsters battled ferociously, Seto and Yami fought with their words. Seto was finally getting the chance to tell Yami that he did deserve what the king had; that it should have been his family instead and was taken from him. Yami kept reminding Seto that Mystery was not the same girl.

Then the scene ended and Emily found herself back in the desert. Unfortunately, Mystery had not been able to watch the rest of the match because she was told to take the baby and run away. Mystery did run, but she didn't leave the palace. But she did manage to return once it was over. She didn't know who won, however, but it didn't really matter. Her husband and friend were back together. Mystery eventually realized that they needed to battle because it was the only way to save Seto from the dark influences and end the pain in his heart. Emily realized that the same thing happened to her own friends when Yugi tried to free Joey from Marik's control in their duel.

"Seto realized that he did have what Yami had: a real family," Mystery explained. "Maybe not the family he dreamed of one day having with the one girl he loved, but he was still surrounded by people who loved him," said Mystery.

"Kaiba's the same way," Emily adds. "He wants what Yugi has without realizing he already has it: being known as one of the greatest duelists in the world. Yugi may outrank Kaiba, but they're still kind of equal."

"Seto learned his lesson the hard way and came to appreciate it. In time, Kaiba will too. His jealousy and lust for power may blind him to what's important, but you and Yugi can help him as long as you don't give up on him. Help him, but give him time to open his heart. When that happens, Kaiba will come to appreciate you and the rest of your friends."

Seeing Seto look so happy as he's surrounded by his family, Emily can't help but agree. Seto was able to show heart and understanding. That made her believe that one day, Kaiba would be able to as well. So as long as she and Yugi kept doing what they were doing, then they would be able to help him open his eyes and his heart. The people she knew and loved today were no different from the people Mystery knew.

That was it for this story, but there was still a lot Emily wanted to know like how Millennia's chosen warriors were able to save mankind together and why the Millennium Star was split into two pieces. But Mystery promised to tell her that story someday. For now, the queen would continue to guide and protect her daughter from within the Millennium Star, teaching her magic and valuable lessons from the past.

"Thank you," Emily paused for a minute, then finished by whispering, "Mother."


	36. Showdown in the Shadows

Showdown in the Shadows

Marik wasn't as gone as everyone thought he was. A part of him had still taken refuge in Tea's mind. Under his control, Tea brings the Millennium Ring to Bakura so that the evil spirit can awaken once again. The evil spirit leaves his room and Marik guides him to his other half.

Malik had broken into Odion's room in an attempt to banish his mind to the Shadow Realm. He knew that if he would awaken, Malik would be suppressed and have a hard time getting back in control. But as he was about to do so, he was interrupted by the evil Bakura. Malik recognized him and noticed that Marik was taking refuge with him.

"I want my body back," Marik demanded. "And I brought an old friend along to help me get it."

"He promised me the Millennium Rod if I can successfully do away with you."

"Oh, that's right. You and your girlfriend were trying to collect the Millennium Items," Malik remembered.

"If you hand over the Millennium Rod, you won't have to force me to add you to my other collection of victims," the spirit of the Millennium Ring warned him.

"My Millennium Rod can easily overpower your pitiful Ring," Malik boasted. To prove it, he pinned the evil Bakura to the wall. He decided to do away with him once he would finish what he came here to do, but Malik found himself being rendered immobile.

"We're not afraid of you," the evil Bakura boasted. "Now just hand over the object."

But it seemed that their powers were evenly matched. So Malik proposed that they should have a duel to decide who gets the right to keep the Items. Bakura agrees and suggests to raise the stakes by playing a Shadow Game. It was settled and they headed to the stratos dueling arena to play their game. Since Malik was the challenger, he decided to be the one controlling the magic of the Shadow Realm. And just because the spirit of the Millennium Ring felt the rage of an Egyptian God card once before didn't mean he had any idea what he would be up against. Not that he needed to know. Malik remembered that Marik would be fighting alongside the evil spirit, sharing all of his knowledge of the Winged Dragon of Ra.

With all of the knowledge gained from Marik, the spirt of the Millennium Ring knew how his opponent's deck was constructed. But he would be in for a surprise. Malik had actually changed some of the cards in his deck, creating new strategies. Malik was also aware of how Bakura's deck was constructed after watching his duel with Yami, therefore knowing his strategies.

"Before we start, Marik would like to have a few words with you," said the evil Bakura.

"I will win my body back from you because destiny is on my side," promised Marik.

But Malik disagreed. "I'm in control now, meaning that your destiny is mine. I'll claim the ultimate power of the pharaoh while you two wallow in the shadows for eternity."

"I won't let you claim my fate as your own!"

"I'm afraid it's too late," said Malik. "I'm the real you and soon you'll be nothing but a forgotten memory in the sands of time."

But Marik heard Ishizu's story from within Tea's mind. He heard how Malik took over and banished their father's mind to the Shadow Realm and vowed that his dark half would pay. But Marik had to remember that his dark half was created out of his anger, hatred, and jealousy, meaning he caused his own suffering. Knowing that, Marik decided he would make up for his wrongs, praying that his father would forgive him. Now he knew the truth behind it all and wanted to set things right. But the outcome of the duel would decide his fate. If Malik was lost to the shadows, Marik would cease to exist was well, but Marik was going to risk it to defeat his dark half.

The evil spirit of the Millennium Ring realized that there were some secrets that Marik had been keeping from him as he was listening to their conversation. He decided that this duel was going to come with an even bigger price that Marik had to pay. "You and I have some business to discuss," he tells Marik. "I'll help you to reclaim your body, but I have a price."

Marik figured he knew what he was going to demand. "If we win, I'll hand over the Millennium Rod."

"Sorry, Marik, that's our old deal. I demand more. What's that I heard about you seeking the power of the pharaoh? Is there a magic stronger than that of the seven Millennium Items and even the Millennium Star? I want to know what secrets you've been keeping from me and Max. Tell me everything and we have a deal."

"If we win, I'll tell you all," Marik promised.

With that being settled, it was time to begin the duel. The spirit of the Millennium Ring stopped trusting Marik after learning about what happened to Max. But he knew that the only way to rescue her and get everything he wanted was for them to work together. "Prepare for a one-way trip to the Shadow Realm, you fiend."

"I'll be the one bringing forth the darkness so it can consume you piece by piece," Malik said, and darkness began surrounding them. "In this duel, the shadows will slowly devour us as our life points diminish."

"What do you mean?" the evil Bakura asked. But Malik just told him to wait and see as the match would progress. The evil spirit made the first draw. Already, his cards were showing no mercy. He played a card face down and summoned Goblin Zombie, a monster with 1100 attack points. Malik played a card face down as well and summoned Drillago, a monster with 1600 attack points. As the machine began to attack, Bakura's trap card Fearful Earthbound activated. This trap would deal 500 points of damage to Malik every time he declared an attack. But the hidden card Malik played was Remove Trap, destroying Bakura's Fearful Earthbound and causing only him to lose life points from the attack. As the evil Bakura lost 500 points, his injured arm began vanishing into the darkness. "My body, it's vanishing!"

"Do you remember what I said earlier? As your life points fade away, so will small portions of your body until the Shadow Realm claims all of you."

"You fiend," hissed the evil spirit. "So this is how you defeated Max."

"And she was showing the same frightened expressions as you are doing now," said Malik. "She couldn't stand my shadow powers and paid the price by surrendering her mind. And I took her treasure as my prize," he says, showing the Cobalt Star shard hanging from its chain.

"Max's Cobalt Star shard!" the evil Bakura shouted. But he managed to take it easy. Just because it was in his hands now didn't mean that he could use its powers. Bakura was still certain that he would prevail with Marik's help and have the last laugh.

Bakura took into account that Malik had memorized most of the cards in his deck and was familiar with his strategies. Knowing he would be expecting him to play Dark Sanctuary and his Destiny Board, Bakura decided not to. Plus, his opponent only had one monster and since he needed to sacrifice three in order to summon the Winged Dragon, Bakura still had time to put a plan in motion. But rather than take his chances, the spirit of the Ring demanded for Marik to confess the card's secrets. Finally, he made his move by playing two cards face down and summoning Gernia in defense mode.

Whatever plans of conspiracy Marik and Bakura would think of wouldn't do them any good in Malik's point of view. He played Card of Sanctity, a magic card that allowed both players to draw until they had six cards in their hands. He drew two cards while the evil Bakura drew four. Sensing disappointment in Malik's tone, the evil spirit took it that he didn't draw the card he was looking for. To help him, he revealed his hidden trap card Multiple Destruction, forcing both players to discard their hands and draw five new cards from their decks. But the use of Bakura's trap costed him 100 life points for each card he discarded. By losing 600 life points, his other arm began vanishing.

Malik wondered if his opponent was playing some sort of trick by destroying himself. But he drew his new hand and was still disappointed for not drawing the Winged Dragon of Ra, so he ended his turn by playing a card face down.

The spirit of the Millennium Ring sacrificed Gernia to summon Puppet Master. It had no attack or defense points, but for the price of 1000 life points, it could use its special ability to bring forth three monsters to the field from the graveyard. The evil spirit's waist began disappearing as his monsters reappeared on the field. The monsters he chose to resurrect were Headless Knight, Earl of Demise, and Goblin Zombie. But using Puppet Master's special ability prevented his monsters from attacking. But the evil spirit had better plans in store. He played Dark Designator, a magic card that allowed him to choose a monster from Malik's deck and place it in his hand.

Malik knew the card Bakura wanted him to place in his hand was the Winged Dragon of Ra. That was when Bakura's plan became obvious to him. It was all on the field; his face down card, the monsters he sacrificed his life points to summon, it was too obvious. "The card will never leave my hand."

"Don't be too sure, you demon," Bakura growled. The hidden card was Exchange. It still made no difference to Malik. His Winged Dragon of Ra would be useless to Bakura just as it was to Max. Still, he gladly exchanged his Egyptian God card for his opponent's Monster Reborn card. "I know you it may seem like you lost your card, but I can assure you that you will be seeing it again soon."

"Don't get too excited," Malik warned. "Your girlfriend thought she could control the Winged Dragon of Ra and use it against me, but she was wrong. You're no different, which means my Egyptian God card is useless to you as well, even if you're a follower of the Dark Lord." But it wouldn't be as useless to him as Malik was thinking. He remembered that Marik was still helping the evil spirit and could help him control the card. Realizing that, Malik torments his opponent by saying, "Looks like the spirit of the Ring isn't duelist enough to handle me without running to his little friend for help."

"Don't push me," the evil spirit warned. But as much as he wanted to cast his opponent into oblivion, he had to wait until next turn. That was enough time for him. Bakura would get his winnings from Marik and he would get his body back. But the truth was, Marik would not be where he was today without Malik, even if his dark half claimed to be whole without him. Marik would not have begun treading on the path he chose if Malik hadn't claimed the Millennium Rod and used it to banish his father's mind into the Shadow Realm. Marik agreed, but promised to reclaim his control.

Having grown tired of Marik's ranting, Malik decides to continue the duel by playing Vengeful Bog Spirit, a magic card that forced all monsters that had been summoned to wait one turn before attacking. So even if Bakura did summon the Winged Dragon of Ra, it would be useless. That didn't stop him from doing it, however, as he sacrificed the monsters brought forth by his Puppet Master. But this actually did a lot more good for Malik than it did for Bakura. He played Joyfull Doom, a trap that drained the attack points of the monsters being sacrificed and transferred them to Malik's life points. And because the monsters sacrificed to summon the Winged Dragon of Ra had no attack points, the Egyptian God itself had no attack points. Marik had no idea Malik had that card on the field and now the Winged Dragon was useless to him and his partner after all. The evil spirit ended his turn by switching the Winged Dragon and the Puppet Master into defense mode. It was Malik's turn again and he had his Drillago attack Puppet Master with Spiral Thrust.

While Yugi was asleep, his dreams led him to the corridors of his mind. He was standing in the small playroom that was filled with toys; the chamber that reflected his own mind. He left and crossed the hall to enter the door to Yami's mind. He remembered going in once before and remembered the dangers he faced, but had a feeling that this time things would be different. But talk about a complex mind. It was an endless labyrinth with many doors and stairs. But it seemed like it had changed and built even more false starts and dead ends.

Yami saw Yugi wandering around. "Something wrong, Yugi?"

"Sorry if I disturbed you," Yugi apologized.

Yami forgave him. "Your mind must have been restless to have brought you here."

"I guess I am a little worried," Yugi admitted.

Yami chuckled, understanding his friend. "Tell me, what's on your mind?"

Like Yugi said, he was worried because the dangers were progressing and things were continuing to get out of hand. But it seems to be so as he and his friends get closer to achieving their destinies. Thinking about that made Yugi begin to understand the nature of this labyrinth. "I think I get it. All these confusing passages represent the mysteries of your past and all the questions you have about the future. But I know we're going to figure all of this out and I'm not going to let anyone stand in our way."

As they walked through the different passages, Yami asked Yugi, "Do you remember what happened when you first came here, Yugi? A stranger appeared to us."

Yugi knew he was talking about the day they first met Shadi and how he used his Millennium Key to enter their minds. He was searching for the truth, but couldn't find any answers because behind every door was a mental trap hiding the truth.

"Shadi had no better luck than I've had in trying to uncover the mysteries here," Yami was saying. "I climb these staircases and enter these doors just as he has, but to no avail."

"But he hasn't given up yet. That's why he appeared before us on the blimp," said Yugi. "Do you remember what Marik said? He told us that the secret to unlocking the pharaoh's power was imprinted on his back on the day of his initiation. Maybe he holds the answers we've been looking for."

Yami stands up. "You and I make a great team, Yugi, and together, we can unlock that power before he does. I know I can't do this without your help."

"I'll always be there for you," Yugi promises as he and Yami grasp their hands.

Inside Bakura's room, Tea began waking up. She looked around asking herself what she was doing here and how she got here in the first place. What really concerned her was that Bakura wasn't in the room. She immediately left and went to Yugi's room, knocking on the door and calling for him and Emily.

Emily heard the sound and woke up first. "All right, I'm coming," she said, yawning.

Yugi began waking up as well. "Who is it?"

"Don't get up, I'll get it," Emily said and opened the door. "What's wrong, Tea?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

She decided to get to the point. "I was just in Bakura's room and he's missing!"

Hearing that seemed to make Yugi and Emily feel a little more awake. They split up and began searching around the blimp.

Just because the spirit of the Millennium Ring couldn't attack with the Winged Dragon of Ra didn't mean he could use it another way. He sacrificed it and summoned a powerful fiend called the Dark Ruler, a monster with 2450 attack points. The Winged Dragon would still be useless if either of them tried to bring it back to the field. But the Winged Dragon of Ra had many secrets and abilities and Malik would soon demonstrate them.

The spirit of the Ring wasn't finished. He removed three monsters from his graveyard, allowing him to summon Dark Necrofear. After that, he played Premature Burial, a magic card that allowed him to revive his Earl of Demise from the graveyard for the price of 800 life points. Now he was down to his last 1100 life points.

Marik didn't like what Bakura was doing. "If you want to win, don't be so reckless with our life points!" he scolded.

"What do you mean 'our _'_ life points, you parasite?" the evil spirit asked. "I'm the one fighting this duel, not you!"

"Wise up, you fool," Marik snapped. "If you want the secret of the pharaoh's power, you'll listen to me!"

The evil spirit continued to argue. It was bad enough that he had to do this with his real partner and he certainly didn't need this pushover's commentary. "But you haven't helped me at all, Marik! In fact, you're the reason I wasn't able to play the Winged Dragon of Ra!"

Marik began raising his voice as he was completely facing Bakura. "And it's your fault we lost so many life points!"

Seeing them argue as they were nose-to-nose amused Malik and made him think that they were quarreling like a married couple. He even wondered if the evil spirit of the Ring did this all the time with the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard. "It's such a shame when good friends can't work things out," Malik told himself. To break up the argument, he raises his voice and tells his opponents, "Your new monsters are impressive, but I'm afraid my Vengeful Bog is still in effect, which means they can't attack just yet."

The evil spirit heard him and replied, "I'm well aware of your magic card's effect. So go ahead and make your move while you still can." But he would regret those words. Malik was about to end the duel by playing the Winged Dragon of Ra. Bakura didn't take him serious, but Malik warned him that the Winged Dragon possessed many hidden abilities. When Marik thought he knew all of the Winged Dragon's powers and secrets, apparently he didn't, and now his dark half was about to demonstrate.

Tea, Yugi, and Emily met up at the main concourse when they were unable to find Bakura. Only Yugi and Emily wondered if Malik was behind this. The only place they hadn't checked yet was the stratos dueling arena, so they headed to the elevator. But when they reached their destination, they saw the darkness of the Shadow Realm blanketing the entire arena.

"Oh, no," Emily moaned. "Marik and Bakura are playing a Shadow Game."

The Millennium Puzzle activates and Yami takes over. "If Bakura loses to Marik, he'll be trapped in the Shadow Realm. This is dangerous, girls, and enough people have gotten hurt already. So please go back downstairs."

The girls knew that Yami wanted them to be safe, but they didn't want to leave him. "I am not leaving you to deal with this alone. We're in this together until the end," said Tea.

Emily agreed. "Remember, I was with you on the day you discovered how your destiny was liked to your past. Don't forget I'm involved in this as well. We're aware of the dangers, but that's not going to stop us from helping you. So don't bother trying to change our minds."

Yami knew there would be no point in doing so, but he still had a bad feeling about all of this. "You girls make this all sound so easy. But Marik seems to get stronger and more evil with each duel. I fear that the darker Marik becomes, the more difficult it becomes to shield the world from his wrath. Marik has already begun to target our friends because of a grudge he has against me. He must be stopped before anyone else falls victim to his insanity."

"We understand," said Tea. "That's why we want to help."

The effect of Monster Reborn would only last for one turn on the Winged Dragon of Ra, but that was all Malik would need to end the duel. He played the card and the Winged Dragon's flames burst out as the divine Dragon appeared on his side of the field.

"Calm down, you fool," Marik said to Bakura as he was watching him tremble in fear. "The monster's attack strength is still zero. Plus, his Vengeful Bog is still in play, which means he can't attack now anyway."

But the Winged Dragon of Ra had the hidden ability Instant Attack, allowing it to avoid the effect of the magic card and immediately attack after being resurrected. It also had the hidden ability known as point-to-point transfer. Malik began transferring all of his life points to the Winged Dragon of Ra's attack points, keeping only one life point to remain in the game. Malik's body looked like it was disappearing into the shadows, leaving a small portion merged with the Winged Dragon. Now the Winged Dragon had 8549 attack points. The divine Dragon attacked, destroying all of Bakura's monsters and the rest of his life points.

"Get ready to fall into the darkness by the hands of Ra!" Malik shouted.

The spirit of the Millennium Ring grinned as he was disappearing into the shadows. "Don't you realize that I _am_ the darkness?"

Malik just chuckled. "And just what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I can't be destroyed," he answered. "You haven't seen the last of me." And he disappeared altogether, leaving behind the Millennium Ring.

As Malik approached it and picked it up, together, Yami and Emily used their powers to infiltrate the Shadow Realm. He notices them and asks, "So how long have you two been here?"

Emily demanded to know, "What have you done to Bakura?"

"I don't know who you're talking about," Malik answers, placing the Millennium Ring in his cloak. "If you mean the spirit of the Millennium Ring, you tell me where one goes after losing a Shadow Game. Don't be so surprised, Pharaoh and Princess. It won't be long before you join him and the rest of your friends in the Shadow Realm."

But the evil spirit wasn't really gone. A part of him still lived within the Millennium Puzzle. He even found his partner looking well. They idly talked about what happened in the past few hours and began on their personal quest wandering in the labyrinth. "Marik thought he could get rid of us, but we promised we would back," said the spirit of the Ring. And where better to unlock the power of the pharaoh than in the dwelling of the pharaoh himself? But would their luck fare any better than those who had entered the mysterious labyrinth before?

Marik was not completely gone either. A portion of his spirit had still taken refuge in Tea's mind. Through her, he went to his elder sister's room and begged for her to hide and protect Odion. Ishizu knew that she had to. Her brother's dark side would try to send him to the Shadow Realm to prevent him from trying to contain him again.

When Malik entered Odion's room to finally carry out his task, he saw that he wasn't there. The only explanation was that Ishizu was behind this.

At the main computer, Kaiba was doing some research on the Winged Dragon of Ra. What shocked him was that he could read the text with his own eyes. It was clear to him like it was written in English. He even learned about the card's many hidden powers. He knew he had to add it to his deck, but after all that he was learning, this would be a difficult card to obtain.

Kaiba was so engrossed in his studies; he didn't realize was waking his brother. Mokuba stirred and asked his brother why he was still awake. "Even you need some sleep," he reprimanded. "There's another round of finals tomorrow."

"I'm well aware of that, Mokuba. That's exactly what I'm preparing for." Kaiba said, still looking at the screen. "We're currently on course for KaibaCorp Island. This is where the finals will end and the champion will be crowned. It's a fitting place for my victory and soon we will arrive at the very site where our stepfather was last seen; after I took over the corporation and left him with nothing. The tower I built symbolizing the new era of KaibaCorp still stands as a reminder of my power.

"Do you understand why I've chosen this island for the conclusion of the Battle City finals? I'm finally returning to the land where our stepfather made his billions. For now, I, too, have built a mighty empire and I've done it all on my own terms. And that's just how I'll win this tournament; with no help from anyone except for myself. It won't be long now, Mokuba, before I prove to the entire world that there's no one on Earth who is superior to me!" he said and began cackling.


End file.
